The Curious Case of the Raven and the Panther
by DarkPhoenix83
Summary: A/U: What starts as an assassination attempt and a cryptic message will lead Severus Snape and Hermione Granger on twisted path to uncover the identity of an evil wizard bent on revenge and supremacy. Set 10 years after the final battle of Hogwarts, Hermione and Severus jockey for position while exploring feelings long left buried in the past.
1. Prologue - The Final Battle of Hogwarts

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, just enjoy expanding my mind from time to time.

 **Note:** It has been far far too long since I posted and I wish it had been different. To answer some questions: 1) No I still don't have a BETA yet so if you know somebody send them my way! If you bitch overly about something in this piece then stop it and offer to fix it. 2) Yes I will finish the other open stories, I just needed a breather from them. I know how they will end, it's just gathering the final umpf to do it. 3) I miss you guys.

As always I hope you enjoy this little beginning. It will take me time to write, life is changing so rapidly at the moment that it's hard to find a moment to really focus on creating.

 **Update:** A super huge thanks to my beta SevmioneAlways for improving my story and finding those embarrassing grammar/ spelling things. I can't thank you enough for teaching me new things and supporting me through this story!

 **Update Sept 4 2016:** Just updating this story with some spelling corrections. Again I don't know how I graduated with a Masters sometimes.

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Prologue – Far Away From Here

The Final Battle at Hogwarts

The viciousness of the attack left Hermione's mouth dry and her legs rooted in place. She didn't know how Ron and Harry felt about it, though she could infer from the horrified looks on their faces and the slight smell of urine that permeated her nostrils, that perhaps one, if not both were as horrified as she was. Their hiding place had afforded them a good enough cover to not be seen by Voldemort, Nagini or Professor Snape, but it had not saved them from the almost inhuman screaming that escaped their professor's lips as the snake struck. It could not muffle the sound of blood splattering on the inside of the window, under which they were hiding, watching the attack with a nearly front row seat. It could not shield their eyes from the horrors that had just occurred within the tiny shack at the edge of Hogsmead.

Some time had passed since the screaming had stopped, so Hermione rose slightly and peeked again through the dirty, blood stained window of the Shrieking Shack. Both Voldemort and the snake were gone. All that was left was the gargling, still-alive body of their most hated professor. The man they had collectively despised since the beginning of their academic careers at Hogwarts was lying there in a pool of his own blood, barely clinging to life. Something had changed in those rather brief moments as the trio peered into the shack and overheard a conversation not meant for them. Their whole perspective on this man had changed in an instant, within the short collection of words that had been formed into sentences. This new information changed everything they had taken for granted or had assumed. It had brought to light a neatly packaged and played out lie. Now they all knew how much Severus Snape had done for them. His enormous sacrifice over the last 16 years had been revealed in a mere 5-minute conversation, as Voldemort claimed the Elder wand from him. The trio realized that all he had done, he had done for love and with the hope for a better world – he had wanted them to live and prosper. Something snapped in Hermione then, it was a deep sense of urgency that brought her to action.

"Harry, Ron you go on ahead. I'll catch up." she ordered. Her plan was crazy, but she had to try.

"Hermione are you sure? There's nothing you can do here. He's- he's dying," Harry stuttered, still slightly dazed and overwhelmed with all that had just transpired.

"Yes, now go," Hermione urged him, putting on her best bossy tone. She had to keep them moving. Harry had a battle to win and she had work to do. The two boys looked at each other, nodded, and ran off into the battle, leaving her in the relative quiet of the field. With a quick wave of her wand she sent her patronus, a swimming otter, back to Madam Pomfrey for help. She did not know if help would come, but better to try than not at all.

She steeled herself and went into the small, dusty, ramshackled room where Severus Snape lay dying. The room was a mess, as it had always been, the paint peeling from the walls, the dust thick along the floor. Hermione turned her head toward him, the sight was horrific; he was covered in blood lying on the floor against the wall, his throat torn apart by the snake. This man, who had always been so upright and in control, was sprawled across the floor like a grotesque rag doll. His breathing was forced and erratic, blood flowed freely from his wound and his eyes were only slightly open. She dropped her long and burdening school robes on the floor and rushed to kneel by his side. Hermione yelped when he grabbed her collar suddenly with what little strength he had, and turned his wide, dark, opened eyes to her, as if to protect himself from harm. In his eyes there was a slight acknowledgement, but when he tried to speak, blood flowed from his mouth and neck. He gargled and choked, clearly in distress.

"Don't speak," she said trying to calm him down. She was grasping at his hands that held her collar in an effort to calm him and free herself. He loosened his grip and lay his head back against the wall, his eyes rolling back in his head. The effects of the poison, I have to do something, she thought to herself. 'First the bleeding, I have to stop the bleeding.'

There was nothing lying on the floor that could immediately act as a bandage. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the bottom of her school uniform blouse and ripped it off, wrapping it as tightly as she could around Severus's throat without choking him. His breathing had become weaker due to the sheer amount of blood loss he had suffered, along with the strong poison coursing through his veins. Hermione applied pressure to his wound while she racked her brain frantically trying to figure out what to do next.

'Think Hermione, think. How can you counteract a poison. . . in the middle of fucking nowhere? How can you. . . .?' That was when it struck her. First Year Potions class and then later in the Half-Blood Prince's potions book, she remembered what Severus had both said and written on those occasions. Her thought was like light, shining brightly through a dark cover of clouds.

"A bezoar." She breathed.

A beat passed as her plan became clear in her head, then she ripped through Severus's clothing like a woman possessed. She was frantic, her curly hair falling in her face, ripping through his voluminous robes littered with hidden pockets and vials. She was searching for a long shot, for a chance and no more. Searching for the one thing that might be able to save him. Her fingers passed over vials and ingredients that were spread out and sewn into the inner lining of his teaching robes. Potions Masters were known for this, but she had no idea how many compartments a single robe could have. They were many and all she could do, her whole entire focus, was to find the rounded stone she would need to counteract the poison.

'There's nothing here, shit shit!' Inside she was pulling her hair out and screaming, but on the surface she was efficient and methodical. Finding nothing in his robes she ripped his high-necked and high-buttoned vest open, scattering its uptight buttons to the winds. She inhaled deeply as she examined his next set of hidden pockets. Her fingers traced over the lining of his vest, but found nothing. It was only as she made her way down his chest that she hit something that could be it. It was a small pocket, sewn into the side of the shirt near his underarm that she felt a small rounded stone-like object. With time running out, and at the end of her wits, she ripped the shirt open on his slowly failing body and dug in toward what she suspected to be the stone.

'You lucky bastard.' She smiled to herself. 'Hopefully it's not too late.' It was then that she shoved the bezoar in his mouth, massaging it down his throat as best she could. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but so had his breathing. So she sat there, straddling his lap, almost nose to nose with Professor Severus Snape, waiting for something, quite literally, magical to happen.

Fear started to set in, as he lay there unmoving. She grabbed him by the collar and started screaming, "Wake up professor. Wake up!"

Nothing, he moved as if he were made of jelly. It was then that the tears began to flow down her face, "You can't die. You just can't. I won't let you."

More tears and more of nothing. She was beating on his chest now, her fists balled up with her nails digging into her hands, begging through her helpless shrieks. "You can't leave me you greasy bastard! You CAN'T! I love. . . ."

'What in Merlin's name did I just. . . .'

It was then that he burst back into life, ripping her from her own thoughts. His body jolted violently forward, almost throwing her backwards. He began to shake and foam exited his mouth.

'It's working!'

Her eyes were wide in both shock and amazement. Though something was wrong. It wasn't working well enough. The bezoar had counteracted the poison to some degree, but the snake must have given him an extra large dosage. It was a horcrux after all, who knew how deadly it truly was.

In a moment of desperation, she wrestled the flailing body of her professor flat to the floor so that she could get better access to his neck. It was clear what she had to do now, and it would not be magical this time. She would have to suck the poison out in the Muggle fashion as there was still a chance that at the injection sites there were reserves of poison left. Her father had taught her this once as a young girl, now she would have to do it.

Removing the piece of her bloodied shirt from his neck, she began to suck and spit the poison from the main wound. The copper taste of his blood mixed with the sour taste of the poison made Hermione want to throw up, but she couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop. She had to keep going.

It took a moment to ascertain if it was working. When she pulled back, she could see his breathing was stronger and steadier than before, but she had to go further. She had to make sure she had removed enough, all of it if she could. She went back to her task, sucking in the poison and spitting it out on the floor. So focused was she that she hadn't noticed the room becoming blurred or the darkness creeping up on her. All Hermione knew was the more she could remove from his body the better. As her vision became more tunneled and her strength began to leave her, she wondered if she would be able to do enough to save him. The last thing she could remember was the floor rising to meet her and a loud thud as her body hit and darkness as the venom overtook her.

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Aseptic smells entered Hermione's nose, telling her she was in a hospital room before she could even be bothered to open her eyes. A hospital room was good. It meant that either they had won, or she was dead and in a dream. Though, as she lay there, her body slowly announcing its aches and pains, she realized that to open her eyes would be to accept whatever reality was out there. 'Can I live in this new world?'

Breathing in, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the brightness of the lights hanging above her. She was almost certain she was in St. Mungos, having been there a few times before she knew the style of rooms. Her head was heavy and her body ached as she breathed in again. Using what little strength she had, she sat up so as to better understand where exactly she was.

He was there in the corner and she had to do a double take. "What the . . . ?" she breathed as her eyes focused on the wizard sitting in the corner of her room.

"Now I know I'm dead," she blurted out, not caring who heard.

"No, my dear. I am afraid you are not," came the familiar, calming voice of Albus Dumbledore. His hands were crossed over the handle of a cane, his blue eyes sparkled at her from across the room. His grandfatherly smile was radiant and warm.

Hermione shook her head, "No, it can't be. I was at your funeral. Harry. . . Harry saw Snape kill you on the astronomy tower. You are dead and if we are talking in this room, then we are both dead, sir."

His chuckle filled the room as he slowly stood and made his way to a chair near Hermione's bed. 'Well he does look and act like like Dumbledore, but how can this be?'

"A common parlor trick on the account of Severus and myself, Miss Granger. Nothing more. My death was necessary to speed up certain events." Albus reached out putting his hand on her arm. "Though, I assure you, I am very much alive."

Hermione studied him for a moment, unsure as to how to proceed. "Prove it, sir. I need to know this is not some kind of trick."

Dumbledore smiled at her request. Leaning close to her ear he whispered, "I know you polyjuiced yourself into a cat in your second year. You were coughing up fur balls for a week." With that, he sat back with a self-satisfied grin, his blue eyes twinkling.

At this Hermione visibly relaxed, allowing her head to fall back on her pillow. As if reading her mind, Professor Dumbledore continued, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are well Miss Granger, though they are resting. The battle was more than taxing on all of us."

This seemed to shake Hermione completely into reality. Professor Snape? She turned her head to look at Professor Dumbledore, but before the words could escape her lips he intervened, "Severus will survive, Miss Granger. Thanks to your quick thinking he should be able to make a full recovery. Though, I am not quite sure how immediately grateful he will be, he had not intended to survive this war."

Her moment of euphoria was brief, as her feelings for him began to flood her mind. She wasn't sure what had happened back there, what he had evoked in her. All she knew was that she was ashamed and confused, she had to distance herself from it. Attempting to suppress a blush she said, "Oh well, I'm sure anybody would have done the same."

"No my dear, they would not have. Severus is not well loved by either side. It was an extreme stroke of luck that you happened to find him as you did. Even more so that you acted as you did." His blue eyes penetrated her, and she wondered if he was reading her thoughts and feelings. She quickly looked away, so as not to betray her mixed emotions.

"A letter came for you, Miss Granger. Hence the reason I am here."

Hermione turned back to him suddenly curious as to what it could be and why it would need to be discussed in this moment.

Dumbledore continued, "It's from the Auror division of the FBI Miss Granger. They wanted to deliver it to you personally, but you were still resting. I believe it is an," he paused for effect, "acceptance letter into their program." Fishing the letter from his robes, he handed it to her, careful to observe her facial expressions.

"Oh, I see," she said taking the letter from him, "I just wanted to see if I could get in. But perhaps the opportunity isn't really for me, after all that has happened. I'm sure Harry and Ron would be better suited for such work anyway."

Her mentor studied her with a questioning expression on his face. It was only after a moment, once he had decided how to best proceed, that he spoke.

"Hermione, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley love to run headlong into battle. Now while this may be admirable, it does not qualify one to be an Auror."

At this point, his voice took an authoritative tone, "It is thinking for yourself, knowing magic both inside and out… grace under fire that makes an Auror, my dear." He looked at her directly now, speaking carefully. "Had you not shown all of that when you found Severus, he would not have made it out alive. I would ask you consider this very carefully. It would be a great opportunity for you and a way to get away from England during a very trying time."

Hermione's face contorted into a silent question.

"There will be trials, Miss Granger, and it will take time to bring things in order. There will be a lot of rebuilding I'm afraid, and I would hate for that to impede on your thirst for knowledge in any way. Think about it. Perhaps when the time is right you will return for your own reasons, professional or otherwise."

It was with this that Hermione wondered if the old man knew more than he was letting on. It was the way his lips danced over the 'otherwise' part that made her self-conscious that he had slipped into her mind and saw what she really was, what she really felt. All she could do for now was say, "Yes sir, I will consider it."

"Wonderful. Now, I should let you rest." He smiled and slowly left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Hermione literally threw herself back on the pillow and covered herself to her eyebrows with the comforter. Everything they had just discussed was completely overwhelming. She was thrilled about the victory, which went without saying, but it was her feelings about Snape that bothered her.

'I was going to say 'I love you'. I was going to scream it out in my most helpless moment. I'm turning 17 in a few months and he's old enough to be my father. How could I possibly love him?'

She was ashamed of her feelings. He'd been nothing but cruel to her, nothing but degrading… and yet a part of her was so drawn to him. She thought back, trying to figure out when this could have happened. The problem was, there wasn't a moment she could think of where she hadn't felt somehow attracted to the man. He did carry many of the characteristics she thought she might like in a man; a razor sharp intellect, graceful movements, silky smooth deep voice, his prowess as a wizard and influence as an academic. However for all that, there were so many things she despised; he was conniving, scheming, quick to anger and selfish.

'And yet I still like him.' She kicked her feet in pure frustration, hating the idea that he even appealed to her sexually.

"I am so young and stupid," she said to herself, pulling the blanket down to her chest. "I could never be happy with a man like that." 'And he could never love me either. Perhaps I should get far away from here. Far away from him, from these feelings. . .from all of it.'

With that, she took the letter Dumbledore had given her and opened it. It was indeed from the Auror division of the FBI, an acceptance letter to go to Quantico for her introduction and to start basic training. It was the most elite Auror school in the world, and depending on which subsection she was assigned to, it could be exceptionally interesting.

'I'll do it.' She decided. 'I'll do it and leave this mess behind.'

She reached for a quill and scribbled her response to the letter in the field provided. The letter magically rolled up and disappeared, leaving in its place a card with the coordinates and time for her personalized port key. In three days she would start her new life. In three days she would be far away from here.


	2. A Curious Incident

**Disclaimer:** I not own these amazing characters

 **Note:** So I finally have a beta! All my thanks to SevmioneAlways for cleaning up after me and improving my work. It's great to have another set of eyes and I appreciate all that you do.

 **Update Sept 4 2016:** Just changed around a few minor things and did some more spelling checks. I am by far the worst speller ever ever ever! No need to re-read if you have read it already. If you have not, then please I hope you enjoy the better state of the spelling :-p

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 **Chapter 1 – A Curious Incident Involving a Panther and a Raven**

10 Years Later. . . . .

Severus Snape pinched the bridge of his long, somewhat crooked nose as he revised his presentation. The candlelight was running low and so were his nerves. He had devoted countless hours over the last three months, and at least the last 4 hours of this day to this endeavor. All that time invested and he still had not yet gotten it in satisfactory condition for the Meeting of International Potions Masters and Mistresses in Florence, Italy just two weeks away. There were points to be tweaked, live demonstrations to be organized and debating about the affects of his new and revolutionary Wolfsbane potion to be anticipated. Yes, this potion might be considered his most crowning achievement to date. He had devised a subset of the Wolfsbane potion that was longer lasting, more potent and much less toxic to those suffering from lycanthropy. Moreover, he had been able to successfully isolate the poisonous substances within the plant and unlock other medicinal uses. It was an incredible triumph and a way to reenter the world of academia that had all but forgotten him.

He rubbed his eyes even more when the thought of his return to academia after the war came to mind. It had been an arduous journey. Though like everything in Severus's life, he had to fight for it, and fight he did. It had taken him a good year and a half to fully recover from the devastation Nagini had wreaked upon his neck and body. His rehabilitation and recovery had been as much physical as it was mental. The snake had ripped his vocal cords to shreds and nearly severed his spine at the neck. A few millimeters more and the Healers would have had nothing to repair and he would have been a quadriplegic. But no. Somehow, in this instance, Severus Snape seemed to always have a bit of odd luck. Though it had taken time to retrain his voice back to its low, baritone, snarky ways and even longer to sit up properly, bend and use his left arm fully - he did make a complete recovery, save a few blood curdling scars.

It was the mental aspect of his healing that took much longer. It was not the attack that he had to come to terms with. It was the entirety of what he had been made to do over his 16 years of service to both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. All the lives he took, all the pain he caused… it was years before the screaming in his dreams would stop and the night terrors would subside. Without the threat of death from one master or another, his mind was free to wander, free to relax from all those years of constant vigilance. It was during this time that he had cursed Hermione Granger most of all. He hadn't wanted to live! He'd tried to tell her that much while he lay on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Severus had grabbed her, trying to shake some sense into the girl… but all that do-gooder, over zealous Gryffindor could do was sit there and try to save him, despite his best efforts to stop her. Despite all he had done over the years to make sure she didn't like him, there she was, as hard-headed as ever.

'I had deserved some peace after all those years, hadn't I? How could you not have understood that?' The memory of her kneeling over him, her frizzy mop of curly hair dangling so irritatingly in his face, the frantic look in her eyes – was surprisingly fresh considering the trauma he had endured that night. The smell of rose that lingered on her skin as she bent down close to him in order to tie a tourniquet on his neck was still so vivid that he could smell it even now. Though it was the warmth of her tears as they fell from her eyes and landed on his face and chest that stuck out the most in his mind. 'Were those for me? Nobody had ever shed tears for me. Why you?'

Then, of course, there was a rather long trial at the Ministry. He had been almost completely unaware during his convalescence that he was indeed a prisoner in the ward at St. Mungos. It wasn't until a Daily Prophet had been carelessly left in the hall that he could truly ascertain what had been going on while he was helpless in the hospital. Aside from the fact that the world had changed, there was wild speculation about his loyalties. It would take the next 9 months to make his case to the Ministry. Nine months of watching dunderheads like Fudge gloat about a victory they were not entitled to, bringing to light his acts of which they could never understand the circumstances under which they were performed. Severus had been exceptionally angry at this time. He had hated the world… even considered what taking his own life would be like, considering the princess Gryffindor had deprived him of it the first time. No, there was something inside of him that couldn't. He just had to prove how ridiculously stupid the Ministry was by pointing out what he had done to lay the foundations for the fall of Voldemort.

So he threw himself into this work, proving his double agent status and then disavowing any true ties to the Death Eaters. It didn't matter that bands of Neo-Death Eaters were roaming around the countryside, stirring up trouble in this time. It was clear Severus had no connection and if that wasn't enough, Albus' testimony had certainly counted for a lot. In the end, it would be a 5 to 4 decision in his favor. A sweet victory had been won for the dark, double agent, but it was a telling one too. Severus would have to carry both the joy and the burden of this decision with him. He had to realize that there would always be those who would never trust the good in him, and those hell bent on destroying him for his double crossing of the Dark Lord. His double agent status and final allegiance, whether genuine or contrived, would mark him forever as an ambiguous traitor. It would mark him deeper and more definitively than his Dark Mark ever had. This weighed heavily on him as he attempted to piece his life back together.

However, none of this was present in his mind by the time he was out of confinement. He was so ready to be left alone that he banished himself to his family home at Spinner's End hoping on finding some peace. There he had worked on potion experiments he had always dreamed of doing,and had lived a few weeks in proper silence before the hate mail and owl bombs found him. While some of the letters were full of praise or even from rather attractive female admirers, there were still plenty on the losing side looking forward to killing Voldemort's ultimate traitor. The living room would be full of letters and evil tokens, wishing his death. His nose and fingers had almost been blown off several times by owls laden with explosive or cursed messages. His home no longer safe or private, he accepted a long-standing invitation by Albus to resume his teaching post at Hogwarts. It was a desperate move, but one that he did out of necessity.

It was with reluctance that he took up his old post at Hogwarts, the eyes and mistrust of the students in this post war world was palpable. The student body had never loved him, nor did he strive to be loved by them, so in this sense nothing much had changed. Spinner's End had also never truly been his home anyway, just a place he inhabited. Hogwarts had been the one true place where he felt he belonged. He had never experienced teaching at Hogwarts without the pull of his old double agent life. Now that it didn't exist, he had time to focus on the things he wanted to. Hogwarts also provided him a relative good screening for letters and owls, though a few things did still slip through from time to time.

It was not long after he took up his old teaching position at Hogwarts that he began to re enter academia. Having more time to devote to his scientific endeavors, he eventually found his place in the grand scheme of things. It was only then, that he began to look at the girl who saved his life differently. She was still a know-it-all little git, who didn't have the good sense to let a dying man be, but as his world improved around him, he found a purpose. He found himself thankful that she had intervened. As thankful as he could be at least, which wasn't much, but he was content with the fact that she hadn't let him die.

So, approximately six years after the end of the war it had become an obsession of sorts, this task of finding Miss Granger. By the time he had been brought out of his coma at St. Mungos, she had already vanished into thin air. It had been "old news" when he asked the healing staff what had happened to the girl. Albus was of no help either, never offering up any information about where she was and what she was up to. This frustrated and angered him, more due to the fact that he could have no access to her, and even more so that she had not left a single trace of her existence on earth. He gritted his teeth at the idea. He had been a spy after all, he had gathered so much intelligence for the Order and had so many years experience doing so… and he couldn't even find a silly, young witch with a chip on her shoulder. 'How can she keep herself hidden so well, and why?'

He could still see the panic in her eyes when she rushed to aid him, how his blood stained her otherwise immaculate school uniform, the care she took when comforting him. 'You ridiculous little git, where in the hell have you gone to?'

His thoughts traveling toward Miss Granger was a sure sign that he had been up far too many hours and required some rest. Hence the reason he was pinching his nose to fight back a headache in his dark dungeon office. The grandfather clock struck 3am, 'Merlin!'

Just as he was putting his quill away the rather unfamiliar cackling of a raven turned his attention toward his owl perch. He observed it with apprehension, unsure if it was there to give him a message or kill him. While his hate mail had significantly decreased in recent years, one could never be too sure. He waved his wand over the creature mumbling a diagnostic spell. 'Just a raven.' Though it was an unusual mode of delivering correspondence in the wizarding world, it was intermittently used. Usually it was the sign of a dark wizard, and as such, this aspect put Severus on edge as he removed a message from the impatient raven's outstretched foot. The bird squawked at him then smugly moved back, almost glaring at him.

Keeping one eye on the incredulous creature of a bird, Severus moved over to the fireplace, where he could have more light to read the bit of parchment.

He unrolled it, "Dear Mr. Snape, it has taken me so long to even trust myself to reach out to you."

'Oh fantastic, another loony fucking admirer.' But just as he was about to crumple the parchment up and throw it in the fire the next line of the message grabbed him and shook him to the core.

"It was only after I successfully acquired Lord Voldemort's final horcrux amulet that I felt worthy enough to reveal myself to you."

At this revelation Severus opened his eyes wider. Nobody knew about this incident. The Ministry had been broken into several weeks ago, he and Albus were called in to consult the Ministry on who might have stolen the amulet and why. It was a destroyed Horcrux but still held some power for those devoted enough to the dark arts to utilize it. But it was extremely confidential, 'If the wizard who penned this letter did it '. . . Severus read on.

"I am a big fan of yours Mr. Snape. To have been so close to the Dark Lord, to have broken bread with him and lived with him was a great honor. To have the guts to betray him in all his infinite wisdom was stupid, but I admire backstabbing and lying as qualities. But I ramble on now. I look forward to your Key Note in Florence, I will be glued to your every word. I want to meet you Mr. Snape, touch you, know you for it is only then that I can use the blood of my enemy to attain full power. The amulet is but one piece and you are the second. Bring you both together, and I shall grow my power. See this as a warning, I want you to be on top alert so that snatching you up isn't too easy for me. There is nothing like a challenge and the thrill of the hunt. Until then."

Severus' heart was pounding, the note spoke of a dark ritual that would transfer the power of Voldemort to another wizard. This was indeed a threat, one very serious one. While most neo-Death Eaters were no more powerful or influential than children, this wizard was different. This wizard had a plan.

The movement of shadows in the corner, shifted his attention. 'It can't be!'

Had he moved a second later Severus Snape would have been dead. A panther had leapt from his desk, where the raven had once been, and slashed in his direction leaving him with three huge gashes in his right arm. He fumbled for his wand and turned, again only missing the claws of the panther by a hair. The raven was no longer there, its transformation into a snarling dark predator complete.

Severus sent a few curses in the panther's direction, hoping to keep it at bay. It was no normal panther and no normal spell, it was a Shadow Creature, a dark conjuring – a shadow imitating real life. The realization made his blood run cold, he would have to act quickly. He bolted toward the fireplace. The closer to the light, the weaker the shadow creature would be. It would only buy him a little time to find the proper spell to counteract it. He would have to use dark magic to destroy it, something he had not done in years. He would have to break a vow he made to himself once he was out of imprisonment, but of course that was the idea was it not?

The growling of panther from somewhere in the room focused his attention once more. It could be anywhere in the darkness of his dungeon office, projecting its snarls from one side but striking from another. He would only get one chance to defeat the creature, otherwise it could escape and stalk him for an eternity from the darkness. Reaching into his robes he removed some hazel, "Revelabit," he whispered. The dusting of the flower flew into the air and was matched by a dark cry, once it hit the creature it burned.

'There!' He pointed his wand at the beast and shouted, "Ad infernum!"

He knew he hit his mark as fire flew from his wand hitting the shadow panther square in the body. Horrific sounds escaped the creature as it began changing forms in quick succession, in an attempt to live. It flailed and sputtered, screaming in pain, then finally lay still, engulfed by flames. With a wave of his hand all the candles came on, he wasn't going to allow another sneak attack. His eyes moved across the room slowly, making sure that there was nothing more hiding Satisfied, he dropped to his knees and held his wound.

'Whoever did this wanted to make it clear they wanted me dead. But Shadow Creatures? Not even Voldemort dealt in that tricky business. Who are you my evil friend?'

Severus had to get to the bottom of this. He had find this wizard and get rid of him before another Dark Lord would come to power. His lecture would be key, his presence in Florence would be the bait, no doubt. Though before he could even hatch a plan he would have to see Dumbledore and he would have to get this wound healed before it spread darkness through his body.


	3. The Funny Thing About Shadow Creatures

**Disclaimer:** These characters don't belong to me, they remain the property of another.

 **Note:** I'd like to thank everybody for reading the story thus far. There was some set up necessary in order for us all to understand the status of our main characters and what they have done with their lives leading up to this point. In chapter 3 they will start their work together. I hope it will be both humorous as well as exciting - I have some good ideas that just need words put to them. In a shocking twist this story might be rated M more for violence than for sex...but lets see :-)

As always my wonderful Beta SevmioneAlways has been a great at filling the gaps and keeping me honest. A special thanks is in order!

 **Update Sept 4 2016:** Changed a few minor things nothing major.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – The Funny Thing About Shadow Creatures**

Albus Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon shaped spectacles and read the letter through once more. From his seated position at his desk he had a good view of both Severus and of the letter. It was no minor injury Severus had sustained, though it was clear he would downplay it as best he could. Whoever had written this had wanted to taunt Severus, of that there was no doubt, but the use of Shadow Creatures was indeed troubling. There had been so many threats over the years on his Potions Master's life that Albus could not even count them anymore, but none of them had come nearly as close as this. A wizard who could penetrate the castle's defenses, conjure a dark being and have Severus attacked in his own private chambers, was certainly one not to be underestimated. They needed to form a plan, something that would draw this person out, 'but what?'

He shifted his gaze to Severus who was sitting on the sofa, shirtless with Madam Pomfrey fussing over his wounds. Dumbledore eyed the man that he had watched grow from a young, insecure and scared boy to a self-assured, sacrificing wizard, and felt a sense of sadness. He had taken so much from Severus over his life, things like happiness and security – things he could never return. Severus was, in his estimation, quite a catch of a wizard actually. He was intelligent, kind underneath his harsh façade, and he looked after himself. He deserved better than to die in his chambers alone at the hands of a spiteful enemy. Albus was suddenly ashamed that it had taken this incident to make that clear to him. All the wisdom in the world and he would trick himself into thinking that a measure of safety and a teaching position would be enough to give Severus all he needed in life. 'I must correct this and sooner rather than later.'

Severus did his best to suppress his pain reactions as Poppy cleaned his wounds. The panther had cut him deeply and any wound of that nature could hold traces of dark magic inside them. Thus the cleaning of the wound and the application of the medicine had to be done meticulously. That didn't make his feeling of annoyance any less as he sat there, shirtless and at the mercy of another, to make sure the outcome of the attack would remain positive for him.

Severus glared at the Mediwitch as she dug her fingers into his wounds and fussed over him. The thought of sitting in the headmaster's office at 4am with an overbearing witch trying to heal wounds she only knew a handful about, made him roll his eyes. The fact that the pain was indescribable just made him angry. He gritted his teeth and did his best not to show any signs that he was screaming his head off inside.

"Who do you think this could be Severus?" Dumbledore asked, curious as to what his dour Potions Master might say. He was an expert when it came to the dark arts and those who practiced them, but this was particularly troubling. To catch Severus Snape off guard took more than just dumb luck.

"If I had known who it was, I would have taken it upon myself to return their regards. As it stands I have no idea," Severus spat then turning to Madam Pomfrey, "Watch where you stick that needle woman. I'm not a voodoo doll here for your sick enjoyment."

"The sending of the letter is clear enough, though the use of the Shadow Creature troubles me. It was meant to be a test, not to kill you." Albus looked Severus over, trying as usual to analyze his expression. "A wizard who would use a shadow creature purely to send a message, is one who would sacrifice a child's life just to show you their power."

Both men knew the only way to conjure a shadow creature was human sacrifice, children to be more precise. In order to embrace the shadows the soul used had to be impressionable and pure, the younger the child the more powerful the shadow. This was the reason that young wizarding children were afraid of the dark, they were afraid they would be snatched and turned into shadow creatures. This concept even crept over into the Muggle world with the Boogie Man. Though whoever did this was indeed evil, and had no respect for human life.

"I will go to Florence, as planned, Albus. I will lure whoever it is out into the light and end this. It seems the only way. We must play into their hands, then strike." Severus watched the headmaster stroke his beard and consider what he had said.

Albus had to contemplate the words of his Potion's Master for a moment. He could not argue with the pragmatism in this plan, but how to make it work? His mind was working hard, trying to analyze every possible outcome and plan. . .until, 'Of course, as it was meant to be.' It was only then, that the older man spoke, "It is true you must go Severus of this I have no doubt. However, given how things have played out this night I think it would make sense that you don't go alone."

Anger crept up and lodged itself in Severus' throat. Doing his best to control his rage he began, "Do you find it particularly wise to send one of your Aurors to the conference with me? At the first sign of something being out of sorts the perpetrator may flee or change their plans toward something of even more danger. I do not need a partner, I intend to go alone Albus."

The older wizard cocked his head to the side slightly, as if he were trying to observe Severus from another angle. 'You don't know this Severus? That is surprising. Or are you so blinded by pride still, not to see?'

"You see my boy I cannot allow this. Perhaps we could have done something before, but with the introduction of Shadow Creatures I just cannot in clear conscious allow it. Do you know the funny thing about Shadow Creatures, Severus?" Albus paused, even though it was a rhetorical question. "They can only attack you when you are alone. While they move in the dark and use it to their advantage, they do not have the power to attack you in the presence of another. For that reason, you must go with another person."

Severus stood abruptly as Madam Pomfrey finished the final stitches on his arm. Turning to face Albus, he could not hold back his anger, "So you would have me babysat? I can just see how inconspicuous Moody will be when we go together to a potions conference." The volume of his voice increased as he continued. "I would kill the old man before we ever had a lead in this case."

"I completely agree, Severus." Albus Dumbledore remained calm, a twinkle in his eye knowing his plan was about to come together. "That's why I will not send Moody. Besides, you will need somebody with you who can easily be in your chambers at night without arousing suspicion."

Severus cocked his head in disbelief, raising his eyebrow in question.

Though before the younger man could open his mouth to protest, Dumbledore cut in, "It will be Miss Granger. Though I am not sure she will agree to take it up but let's see." The smile that broke across Dumbledore's face was one of smug triumph as he watched the range of emotions flash over Severus' face unchecked.

Her name kept ringing in his ears, as if it had been told to him through time and space. As if a bomb had exploded and only the sound of her name could be heard over the nothingness. He was instantly brought back to the last time he had seen her, the lines of concern on her face as she leaned over him sucking the poison from his wound. Her hair full of his blood, sticking to the side of her face, her touches still so tender even under extreme duress. All these years and he had no idea where she had been or what she was doing and now, now she would be thrust into his life again just a quickly as she had vanished from it. 'How dare she come back into my life after saving it and leaving it as she did?'

His rage was building in his stomach, bile rising as he spoke. "No! I will not have this… this girl protect me from the dark arts. Besides, she is known as part of the Golden Trio. This wizard would spot her right away." Severus was trying his best to keep his passions in check, but wasn't doing so well at succeeding.

The Headmaster chuckled slightly, stood and walked over to Severus putting his hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. "My boy, Hermione Granger is no longer a little girl of 16. She is a woman and she has blossomed over the years to the point where even I wouldn't have recognized her. Aside from that, she is a highly trained Auror with a specialty in Neo-Death Eaters." Albus took the awestruck look on Severus' face as an opportunity to continue, "You will be safer with her than anybody else, I assure you."

"I will not allow it."

"You must Severus. It is not uncommon for those attending this conference to bring their fiancés with them."

Severus glared at the idea but remained silent.

"I will speak with her in two days at which point I can give you an answer."

Grabbing his bloodstained shirt as angrily as he could, Severus looked both Madam Pomfrey and Albus in the face with the biggest amount of contempt he could muster and left.

All the way down to the dungeons Severus shook his head. He couldn't believe what the old man was suggesting. That he would go with this child to lure out possibly the biggest threat to the wizarding world since Voldemort was preposterous. Yet, he couldn't deny the flutter in his stomach at the sound of her name, the curiosity that it awoke in him. He had spent so much time despising her and so little time coming to an understanding and an acceptance of what had happened that he didn't even know how he would react to her in person. Less yet, he couldn't even fathom what it would be like to let her into the most intimate part of his life, his privacy, while chasing a mad-man.

* * *

Hermione Granger could not stifle the smile that spread across her face from ear to ear, as warm water flowed over her body. She reached for the shampoo and ran it through her thick hair. It was not uncommon for Dumbledore to call on her just to catch up and see how things were developing with her work – it was odd though for him to drop by unannounced at 6am on a Thursday. She had jumped out of bed, grabbing her robe and immediately put the kettle on, not worried about the craziness of her hair or the sleep still clinging to her eyelashes.

It was what he told her over some hot tea and toast that both excited and disturbed her all at the same time. An attack at Hogwarts on teacher by a dark wizard, shadow creatures, a threatening letter – all of this fit the profile of a Neo-Death Eater. It was their target that surprised her and caught her deepest interest, Professor Severus Snape. It had been quite some time since she had heard his name spoken out loud and she was amazed that it still had the same power over her as it had 10 years before.

After leaving England she has purposefully pushed him and whatever feelings she thought she might have for him to the back of her mind. The Auror division at Quantico was one of the hardest and most demanding programs on the planet, distractions of any kind would not help her excel here. Her first year was filled with physical and mental challenges designed to have at least one third of their freshman class fail. Every morning they would be woken up at 5am for jogging and physical fitness, 7:30am was breakfast then classes, by the mid-afternoon they were drilled on spells. The evening was set aside for resting, but for the ambitious among them it was extra study time. Hermione didn't sleep much in those days, the focus of her year almost exclusively on excelling at the task at hand. She would occasionally think back on her days in Hogwarts, when she could study, teach Ron and Harry their lessons and fight the Dark Lord while keeping high grades. She would always grin when she thought about how things had changed. It put an even bigger grin on her face when she was named top of her class after the first year, when one third of her class did indeed drop out.

In comparison to her first year, the second year of her studies at Quantico was a huge improvement, particularly on the personal level. As Aurors in their second year they were still pushed to their limits. However she and her classmates became more efficient in dealing with the complexity of Auror school. They began to choose their specialities, Hermione chose Neo-Death Eaters. It was in that moment, when she chose her specialty that she began to think again about Severus. She had even checked up on him through newspapers she received from England and other venues where she was getting information. Being farther away helped her keep her emotions in check. Hermione told herself she was only interested in what he was doing, following up on her work form the shrieking shack, nothing more. She had even been asked to give evidence anonymously in Snape's trial, she was sure her testimony, given from the US, had been instrumental in securing his release. That had satisfied her during her second year rather deeply. It also left her curious about the continued life of the man she had saved on that fateful night. On a night that had changed everybody's lives so fundamentally.

The third year of her four year program brought time to breath and, at 19 years she could even focus on dating. It had been a rather curious year in this way. Hermione had only ever known Ron and Viktor, nothing more in the way of the opposite sex. Now she was surrounded by young men from all over the wizarding world looking to be top notch Aurors. As one of the few women still in the program she was the center of romantic attention and that gave her a sense of pride, as well as the pick of the boys. She dated a lot in this year, all different kinds of boys. Hermione's curiosity knew no bounds, and yet they were all missing that certain "something" she was looking for.

It was only after she graduated with top honors from the program and settled into the fast paced underground of a post Voldemort world did she admit to herself the real reason it never worked with the men she dated. They weren't 'him' and they never could be. The more she found herself thrust into undercover work, the more she saw the more she knew how special he was. By the time she was 25 she had seen, tried and done most everything that had to do with the dark arts. She had been successful in toppling plots from overthrowing the Wizarding government of the United States to busting young punks for re-animating the dead. These years of experience that Hermione gained aged her in ways most things could not, but at the same time it built a sense of admiration for Severus Snape that was unshakable. To be a double agent working against the most vile and dangerous wizard in modern history, having to endure what he had and do what he did.

It was not surprising to her that she would eventually return to London, and take a job as a 'spook' at the Ministry of Magic. She had actually just been settling into her job when Albus had called on her to aid him in this case involving a panther and a raven. As Albus spoke over toast and tea she tried to suppress that feeling in her belly that came from hearing Severus' name and focus on the task at hand. This was serious, any witch or wizard who would enter the ministry and steal such an artifact was not only good at deception but also had a plan, a bad one. Though she could not say which spell they might be trying to evoke. Dark Magic used many things to increase the power of a witch or wizard and to wreak revenge, but it often involved great cost to whomever cast these spells. The subtext of the use of shadow creatures was unavoidable - the message was clear. This person would go to any length to get what they wanted, they would sacrifice a child in order to do it. That was the funny thing about Shadow Creatures after all, it required the sacrifice of a child, usually one's own. If not, then the parent was somehow involved. The thing that kept nagging at Hermione the entire time Albus spent sitting there talking to her was, why did he always refer to the perpetrator as a he? 'Those who conjure these beasts are often women, or has he overlooked that?'

Hermione turned off the water and stood there for a moment. There were many bothersome things about this case, that being the thing that stuck out in her mind the most. She slipped on her fluffy robe and went to the case file Albus had left for her. She would need to procure the entire list of attendees for this conference she and Severus would go to and she would need some access to some books from the Hogwart's restricted section. "Almost like old times." she chuckled to herself. She turned toward the hallway mirror and looked at her reflection. She had changed so much since she had seen him last, it would almost be like reintroducing herself. This thought gave her pause, 'Will he live up to the image I have created? Will he survive the teenage crush phase and be everything I remember? Will he abandon his pride long enough to find this person?'

No matter what the outcome Hermione would see this through and find whoever was threatening the stability of the wizarding world. She would start by penning a letter to her most dear professor requesting all that she would need to do research on this case for the next two weeks. She grinned at the thought of reaching out to him, it was almost devilish in nature, "Either way you had better be ready for me Professor Snape." To see herself mouth those words in the mirror gave her confidence and she felt almost giddy. They both have to be ready for anything in order to bring this witch or wizard to justice.


	4. The Telling Thing About Undergarments

**Disclaimer:** I love these characters and wish I owned them.

 **Notes:** Hi everybody! I've really appreciated all of the comments and discussion regarding this story. It has been rather fun to write and I am really trying to branch out and try different things - a bit of humor as our two protagonists meet and so on :-) I really hope you enjoy this chapter and I appreciate your support, comments, likes, faves etc!

Please everybody thank my lovely Beta SevmioneAlways for saving you from my horrible misspellings and for catching some funny logic errors along the way. She's been really awesome and responsive and I couldn't have pushed this through without her.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Telling Thing About Undergarments**

By the time Severus Snape arrived at the St. Regis Hotel in Florence he was already seething. The last two weeks had been nothing if not filled with letters and 'information requests' from that little know-it-all of a witch, Miss Granger. If he thought she had been an absolute horror as a student, the adult version of her was more confident and pushy. No, 'hen-pecky' would be the more appropriate term. He had been to the library at least seven times loaning books and replacing them with new ones, all so the little git of a girl could finish her 'research'. Severus ground his teeth at the thought of what she was up to and refused to indulge her requests for more personal information regarding his person or his involvement with the Death Eaters. He had absolutely no time to follow up on her every whim, nor was he by any means her private secretary. Yet Severus found himself filling these requests just to quiet the witch for a day or two. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

This attack at Hogwarts had given her a reason to push into his life, to presume she knew things she did not and he would be damned to let her into his own private space any further than absolutely necessary. He tapped his foot incessantly to the thought as he waited very impatiently in line for the old witch in front of him to finish her check-in. ' _If she asks one more thing about the damn breakfast menu…'_

"Buongiorno Signore. I can help you here," came a heavily Italian accented voice from the front desk. Another dunderhead had appeared and seemed to actually have a vested interest in moving the line forward. Severus persed his lips together and moved closer to the counter.

"Severus Snape. I'm here for the conference." At this sentence the young man's face at the front desk changed from one of schooled politeness to surprise, to utter confusion. Severus stared back blankly at the man, his lips drawing a thin line across his austere face. ' _Try me boy,'_ was all Severus could think as he waited for the man to utter his next sentence.

Doing his best to regain his composure as quickly as possible the young blonde front desk wizard replied, "Oh, Signore. We have been expecting you. Your wife…"

"Fiance," Severus corrected in his usual dry tone, feeling his distaste for the man build. The first rule of going in undercover was to not stand out. ' _We haven't even started our work on this case yet and she has already put us at risk_ ,' he cringed, thinking to himself. ' _We might as well pack up and go home now.'_ To catch a dark wizard such as the one that had targeted Severus, one needed patience and cunning. Two things that Hermione Granger seemed incapable of possessing.

"...Oh yes. Excuse me," the probably-attractive-to-some front desk clerk stuttered. "I had the pleasure of checking in your fiance, Signorina Thornbridge, just an hour ago. She asked me to inform you that she is waiting for you and will have an aperitivo ready for you in your room before the ball begins."

It wasn't difficult to see the slight resentment in the young man's demeanor, as if he felt Severus undeserving of what was waiting for him in his suite. Severus suppressed his boiling anger with what might have been misconstrued as a jealous growl by the man standing across from him.

' _For the Granger girl? This is utterly ridiculous! Well, I guess the old adage about being female and breathing applies here even more firmly than I thought.'_ Severus snorted and eyed the man with the same gaze he used on his third-years with even more than ample success. "Did she say anything else?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow in clear and open disgust.

Not even waiting for a response Severus swiped the key off the desk, turned on his heel, and made his way to the stairs. It was with a confused look and a gaping mouth that Severus left the young man at the front desk and stomped his way up the stairs toward the seventh floor of the building.

' _Of all the stupid things I could feel at this moment and I feel jealousy toward some stranger who undressed Miss Granger with his eyes? She is practically still a little girl and one with a mop of hair so untamable…'_ He balled his fists at his continued analysis of the subject. ' _No matter how old she is, Hermione Granger will always be an annoying, prissy, know it all girl to me. She will always be the girl...the girl that... saved my life.'_

So preoccupied with the confliction that was his feelings for the girl in question, Severus failed to notice the dark, looming figure in the stairwell just one floor above him. As he dealt with the swirling emotion of confusion on the topic of his attraction towards the Miss Granger that saved him a decade ago, he failed to see two, glittering, gleaming globes that were eyes watching him intently as he made his way up the stairs. Eyes from a creature that seemed to undress _him_ with a single, predatory glance. Deciding when to pounce. When to strike. When to kill.

* * *

Severus Snape opened the door to the Presidential Suite of the St. Regis Hotel, like he opened most all doors he went through, quickly and with force. The last thing he needed was to be taken off guard by Miss Granger. However, to his slight disappointment, nothing happened when he entered the room. The all powerful Miss Granger, FBI Auror graduate, first of her class, had put nothing in place to prepare their quarters from possible intrusion or attack.

' _Not only will I have to track down a mad dark wizard but I will have to babysit an Auror as well!'_

Though the suite was more than adequate to suit his needs, he would have to thank the association for inviting him and treating him and his...whatever she was, well. It was opulent, something you might have seen in the houses of Italian royalty in the middle ages. There were tall vaulted ceilings with beautiful windows facing the main square. Upon a quick investigation Severus found a few rather well done still-life paintings that adorned the walls and a beautifully lit fire place took the chill off the fresh October Florentine air. There was a bottle of champagne on ice placed on an antique wooden table where an over stuffed sofa with a wooden frame stood there invitingly. A large golden framed mirror hung from the wall to his right and hinted as to why the elusive Miss Granger was nowhere to be seen, the door to the private chambers of the residence were slightly open, allowing for some of the room's natural light to shine into the sitting room. He quickly warded the main door and turned to survey the room once more.

Once he was certain that the sitting room of the suite was indeed secure, he moved carefully to the bedroom. Upon entering he could hear the shower running and could feel the slight warmth of the steam overflowing from the bathroom into the bedroom. Severus snorted at this revelation, ' _I could have killed her 10 times already. Elite Auror indeed,'_ he thought haughtily.

The bedroom was every bit as impressive as the sitting room. With a large bed in the center of the room, walk-in closet on the right, an antique set of drawers next to the closet, a vanity for the female accompaniment and, of course, a bathroom on the right hand side of the room. On the bed, neatly laid out, was an emerald green ball gown made of satin. He observed it for a moment trying to picture the girl of 16 he knew ever filling out the dress laying before him. He almost laughed outright. ' _This whole charade is preposterous. Albus must be getting old and senile to think that this girl could protect me.'_ There was no use waiting for the woman to finish her shower, he would put his things away now. Severus motioned his travel chest into the bedroom.

With a flick of his wand he set himself to work. ' _Suits and shoes in the closet. Books on the bedside table, documents in the living room study area, undergarments in the top drawer of…'_ For some reason his undergarments stayed put, not moving from their place in his rather large travel chest. So he turned to them, glaring them down he flicked his wand at them again, ' _Undergarments in the top drawer of the dresser.'_ This, however did not seem to work.

"Oh for the love of Merlin!" Severus turned to the dresser and threw open the top drawer. There, in the drawer he sought to occupy, were _her_ undergarments. They were neatly folded and far too many for a four day event. ' _Of all the nerve...'_ he thought to himself. He grabbed a handful of them in anger, prepared to throw the wretched things on the floor, but something stopped him. As he turned his hand palm up to face him, he noticed something curious.

Her knickers were silky, lacy and smooth to the touch. The colors and patterns were indicative of a young lady who both wore them because she liked the look of them, and because she knew her partner would like the look too. At this, he set down the balled up sets he had just taken and began to rifle through the remaining contents of the drawer. It was not that he had never seen a lady's undergarments before, or enjoyed the touch, look and feel of them. He did. But this… It was more the intimate access he had to look at them now, combined with analysing her own personal choices that intrigued him more than anything.

They were sexy but not in a way that was trying too hard. Some were just solid colors; deep reds, and blues for example. Some were cut to cover only a third of her bum, while some just had a tiny string attaching the front of the small cloth to the back. And then were was one that particularly piqued Severus' interests. A certain black piece with crisscross, bandage like patterns of silk and light chains around the hips. ' _Leather_?' He lifted this one up with both hands at either corner of the material to get a better look at it. A devilish grin crossed his face _. 'Oh Miss Granger what kind of a naughty…'_

Before he could finish his thought, an all too familiar voice pierced the otherwise silent room he found himself in. "Well, well Professor. If the answer to this case is in my knickers, then I guess we can wrap this up right here and now."

It was with a grin, and the air of self satisfaction that made catching Severus Snape red handed all the better for Hermione. She hadn't known what to expect once he had entered the suite, setting off her personal alarms and sealing the room against possible assassins. Her layers of wards and protections had taken her a good hour to put in place and were as intricate as they were difficult.

Once he was in the suite Hermione had waited, giving him time to feel comfortable and allowing him to move freely around the room. She had learned much about human nature in her years as an Auror, and Severus was a man who needed his most intimate places to be as comfortable and as familiar as possible. Catching him going through her knickers though, had been an uncalculated bonus. His back was to her, so she crossed her arms over her comfy bathrobe and waited for what her, now undercover partner, would do.

Knowing very well that how he handled this exact moment would set the tone for the rest of this long weekend, Severus drew in some breath and with her knickers still in hand he turned to face her, allowing them to swing from the index finger of his right hand. "I can assure you, Miss Granger, I was merely…" He stopped talking mid sentence. It was almost as if his tongue had been cursed, so was the awkwardness of having his breath taken away from him. He was speechless, a feeling most unusual to him. The front desk clerk had, in some unintended way, tipped him off to this, but nothing could have truly prepared him for the young woman standing so casually in front of him.

Comparing her to the slightly bucktooth, frizzy haired and unkempt know-it-all from 10 years before was useless. They could have almost been two separate people all together. The one that stood before him had the same large amber eyes he remembered. The ones that had cared for him as he lay dying. The shape and proportion to the face had remained. Her hair was still voluminous and curly, but even now as it clung to her face in a similar way it had as she was reviving him, he could see she had found a way to tame it to an acceptable extent. Even wet he could see how pretty a full head of curls would look. Her face had grown up, her cheekbones slightly pronounced, her baby fat all but vanished.

It was the whole picture together though that had truly robbed him of his breath. Standing in front of him was indeed this confident and charming young lady that her undergarments had foretold. Her lips were slightly set together in a smirk and her arms crossed over her fluffy bathrobe, which, unfortunately, covered her figure. The young woman staring back at him was indeed Miss Granger, she was just more lively and worldly than the girl he had known. Above all, she was rather stunning.

Severus cleared his throat as she began to tap her foot impatiently on the thickly carpeted floor. He tried to continue where he left off. "...I was merely checking to see who I would be sharing a room with the next couple of days. A person's most intimate possessions can tell us worlds about them." Severus had to groan at himself for pulling this Professor Trelawney type explanation out of thin air, but he needed to focus the conversation on her and get the attention off him.

"Oh really?" the young woman asked, eyebrow raised and moving closer to him. She had grown a bit taller since he had last seen her, her head reaching just under the tip of his prominent nose. This was made even more noticeable as she stood face to face with him and gently relieved him of her sexy leather garment. "So what is the telling thing about my undergarments, Professor?" Her words were almost a whisper as they left her mouth.

A sneer crossed Severus' lips at this challenge, but he had never been one to back down. "Perhaps what is even more telling is the lack of security in this room as I entered. No wards _or_ alarms! I was on the premises an entire seven minutes before you exited the bathroom." He cocked his head to the side in a clear challenge while crossing his arms across his chest. "Auror indeed," he added just for a bit of extra venom.

Although it did not seem this way on the outside, Hermione was secretly grinning to herself. The man she had feared as a beginning student, then respected as the years passed and had seen this respect grow into the seeds of what could turn into love, had not changed one bit. While 10 years may have passed, the man she was so dangerously close to now had not aged one bit. His hair was still jet black and fell almost shoulder length as it always had. His features were harsh, his nose long and the combination of this with that low, distinct voice gave him that same allure it had on her years ago. He was not an attractive man by traditional standards, but that had never mattered to her. Severus Snape was the entire package of intelligence, quick thinking, danger, loyalty and being true. He was everything her silly 16 year old self had admired and more. It was cracking that hard exterior that would prove the most challenging task.

Hermione smiled sweetly at her former professor and drew a deep breath before responding, "First of all, there was security already installed in this room before you even arrived. The fact that you did not feel the wards at all just proves that my theory on second level recognition wards works perfectly well." She paused to give him a moment to process what she was saying before she continued, her arms still crossed over her chest in her fluffy white robe.

"You see most wards must be made by the person who intends to protect themselves from harm. Though what I have found is that if you take an object owned by that person, that still contains enough of their magical residue, you can key a ward almost as perfectly to them as they could themselves. Your current grievance is case in point for that. Though I did know you were in the room and even gave ample time for you to feel at home." Grinning, she placed her manhandled panties neatly in the drawer with the rest of her undergarments.

In this moment of rather awkward silence, Severus did his best to pick out the parts that actually meant something before reacting. As his student, it would have been easy to just take away house points or give her detention to shut her up. Now, however, he would need to find new and inventive methods of putting her in her proverbial place. On the one hand, she seemed to have achieved something that very few wizards could; warding a place and keying it to another wizard. In a way, this should have surprised him. He should have been in awe of her great achievement - but somehow it just seemed natural that she would do so.

It seemed to be the natural progression of her talent and prowess, which was indeed more than many wizards and witches could hope for. On the other hand she had implied that she had come into possession of something that he had left his magical mark on, perhaps even something he might consider an intimate possession. To leave one's magical mark on something was either to enchant it, use it, or possess it for a long amount of time to leave energy on it. Either way, she had pried into his life and used something that was his without his permission. A fiercely private man, any attack on this was also an attack on him. It didn't matter how physically attractive she may have become or the reasoning behind why she had intruded on his privacy, just that she had done it.

Pursing his lips together tightly he began, "So what then, may I ask, did you use to pull off this wonderment of modern magic?" His words dripped with sarcasm, his tone the very same he would have taken with her in her scholarly years. When she didn't respond right away, he continued, "It would seem that you have taken something very near and dear to me, otherwise there would have been no way you could have been successful with it." He waited now, finding pleasure in challenging her outright.

At this, her face flashed with a sort of mischievous grin. It filled her face out and gave her a character she had not had as a teenager. It pleased Severus though he was not willing to admit it to himself.

"Well there are some secrets we must be allowed to keep. So if you will permit me to keep this one, then I will not press you for the reasons you find my undergarments so interesting." She smiled and cocked her head to the side to denote a question. To tell him outright what she had used would be to admit more about her feelings to him than she was willing to. She could not tell him that when she had unpacked her school trunk at Quantico that she had found his bloodied torn shirt from the night of the final battle there neatly folded with a note in familiar script.

" _Dear Miss Granger, I thought you might like to keep this as a reminder of your quick thinking and how it saved a truly great man's life._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Albus Dumbledore"_

It was a gruesome token, but one that had provided her a close reminder that what she was doing was for the greater good.

"Very well, Miss Granger," Severus agreed, eyeing the young female witch in front of him with a slight mistrust. He would have to pick and choose his battles over the next few days, and the leather undergarments controversy would not be one he wanted to waste his energy on.

"Excellent. And it's actually Miss Thornbridge, Elizabeth Thornbridge. Did you not see the letter I sent you describing myself, story and how we met?"

Opening the second drawer of the dresser and putting the last of his things away there he replied. "No, Miss Thornbridge, or whatever you would like to be called. I've had urgent matters to attend to and have not had the time to memorize the ridiculous amount of mail I have received from you in the last two weeks."

"Oh. Then how will we…"

Severus turned now to look at her, she was now standing on the other side of the bed, sorting out some of her personal effects for the evening. "...How will we convince them we are a couple? Quite simply, Miss Granger. By not allowing them to nitpick us on the details. By simply not giving them any information about anything concerning...us. I am an intensely private man if you hadn't yet noticed, and I like to keep everything that way." He watched her face and saw the flash of anger pass her features as it often had during potions class. Satisfied he had gotten the desired effect, he continued, "I would expect my life partner to do the same, Miss Thornbridge. Are we clear?"

Hermione nodded. _Oh this is going to be an utterly fantastic assignment,_ she thought to herself as she picked the final things she would need for the evening. It was easy to fantasise the good parts, his more argumentative side had been conveniently left out of her old memories.

She sighed. "Well then moving on to the next bit of business. I've put a file out on the coffee table near the champagne, there you will find all the information I've gathered pertaining to our mystery witch or wizard and who they might be at the conference. It is truly an extensive list of attendees but we know that nobody can enter or exit the premises unless they are meant to be there. No open access narrows it down at least to the attendees." She looked at Severus and motioned him to leave with a slight nod of her head. "If you keep the door open a bit we can discuss the file. Oh, and if you wouldn't mind opening the bottle?"

"That's the best suggestion you've had yet," Severus smirked as he exited the bedroom, leaving the door open a very generous crack, and went to sit on the sofa. The file lay there on the antique wooden coffee table. It was thicker than he would have imagined, but she had asked for so much in the last several days, so it wasn't so surprising either. Severus opened the file to the first page and proceeded to remove the bottle of champagne from its icy bucket. The first page was blah blah, table of content of the file and what not. Using a bit of wandless magic to move the file ahead while removing the cage of the cork, he saw some more than prominent and suspicious names pop up.

Morgana, it's been so long. He reminisced as he popped the cork and filled the two glasses in front of him. He could hear Hermione chattering away, but what she was saying was less interesting that what he had in front of him. Her work was skillful to say the least. The dossiers she had prepared, the amount of guesswork she had done, the connections she had made looked as though they had been taken from his very own notes. Whoever had threatened him had an unhealthy interest in him, though it was unclear whether they had ever met him face-to-face or had only known of him. They had not been part of the inner circle which either made them young or a foreigner, meaning not English. This was clear from the writing and by virtue of the fact that most of his Death Eater brethren had been put in Azkaban. He followed her notes and flipped the pages in her file following her thought process further and finding very few flaws.

It was the harsh calling of his name that pulled him out of the thick of this thoughts.

"Severus! I asked, 'what do you think of the file?'" came an annoyed voice in a familiar bossy tone from beyond the crack in the door. As he turned to answer her he could see her body moving in the very small space he had left open. He could see her supple muscles pulling the gown over her head. Then there was a small flash of flesh as she adjusted it on herself and before she used her wand to do the rest. He drew in breath, knowing that to stare any longer would be to ponder other things of a rather lewd nature.

He made some kind of grunt that must have passed as a 'yes' because she ceased calling his name and went back to preparing for the Welcome Ball. Severus sat back, crystal champagne flute in hand, and continued reading through her file, playing back the evidence in his mind. ' _This wizard is most certainly ingenious as he was able to get through both the Ministry's defenses as well as those of Hogwarts. He wants to prove himself worthy to me. The letter and the use of Shadow Creatures is pure evidence of this. '_

Going over her notes they had both come to similar conclusions, '... _but a woman?'_ He hadn't considered that. Moreover he hadn't ever contemplated that there could be more than one person involved in this. He flipped back through the list and photos of some likely candidates pulling out those of two old acquaintances. ' _Morgana and Marco could you really be involved in this? But why now?'_ He tapped his fingers on the file subconsciously as he drew a sip from his glass. He decided he would not disclose his relationship to either of these suspects to Miss Granger, it may cloud her judgement as it had his. He had not considered them, nor had he considered the fact that this wizard could indeed be a witch.

At that the doors leading to the bedroom suddenly burst open and Miss Granger came bouncing out, grabbing up her glass of champagne and standing in front of the sofa where he was. "Is this appropriate for one of these events? I must say I've never been to one."

Severus concentrated extra hard to keep his lips pursed together, otherwise his mouth might have gaped open like a teenaged boy. As she turned so he could inspect her completely he had to fight even harder not to let a sound pass his lips, so as not to say something that would utterly embarrass him. Her dress was emerald green satin and in a modern victorian style. The neckline was high, but for that the front of the dress, as well as the long arms, were skin tight showing her curvaceous figure in a sexy yet restrained way. The back of the dress plunged from the shoulder blades forming a V shape that ended right at above her tailbone. It was easy to see the delicate curve of her spine and he couldn't help but think what it might be like to trail his tongue down it. The V ended in a victorian bustle in the back that gave the ankle length dress just a touch of old style to fit his sensibilities, but it was modern enough to suit a young lady. She wore almost no makeup, allowing her true brightness to show. To top it off she wore a set of emerald and pearl earrings, set in an antique style that would have suited the room they were currently in. He was already cringing at the thought of swatting away the many young attractive Potion's Masters who might try their luck with her this evening. Severus was a jealous man, and he could feel it rising before they were even in the ballroom. His emotions and passions swirling around him, Severus merely nodded then turned his attention back to the file.

It was different looking at Professor Snape from the standpoint of an adult instead of a student. Hermione couldn't deny that her Auror training may have also had something to do with it, but as she stood there drinking her glass of champagne and watching him thumb, with great interest, through her file, a few things became more apparent to her than they would have years before. The way his pupils dilated slightly when she walked out the room, a small ragged intake of breath as she turned to reveal the entirety of her gown. All were clear indications of his approval, though he had said nothing to that effect. The corner of her mouth curled slightly as she began to realize the small game they were playing. _Let's see how we tiptoe around these things over the course of the next several days Professor._

It was the use of her name that pulled her from her musings. "Miss Granger!" Severus barked, annoyed that she had not heard him the first time.

She tilted her head slightly, so as to acknowledge that she was now listening. "There is something missing here Miss Granger, a flaw in your files." His grin was one of self satisfaction, to have actually found a flaw in Miss Granger's work. "You speak so much about possible incantations, possible spells and conjurations that this dark witch or wizard may be thinking to use on my person, but I see nothing here about potions."

At that her face lit up in a smile, "It could be any of the power potions, any in the Vis line." Severus nodded, pleased her mind was racing in the same directions as his. "It would make sense wouldn't it? Why go through all this trouble, come out of their comfort zone here, to an international meeting of potion's masters and mistresses unless they planned to use a potion." It was then that she walked around the small table near the couch and sat next to him, as giddy as a schoolgirl. She knew there would only be one book that would hold the answer they sought. "You wouldn't happen to have a very rare and banned copy of Potiones Interdictae?"

At this Severus smiled broadly and began to fill her empty champagne flute. He did indeed have a copy of this book, though he had opened it only when creating potions for the Dark Lord. Leaning closer to her he said, "Why, Miss Granger. I'm impressed. Your Gryffindor roots must be tingling in anger to even speak the name of such a book. How do you know it?"

"I know many things my 'Gryffindor roots' as you call them, would take issue with." At that they both smiled, acknowledging that the ice between them had finally be broken, though it was but a crack.

"I'll drink to that." Severus said as he lifted his glass to her. As they clinked glasses and took another drink he could not help but wonder what secrets the girl held, or better yet, which undergarments of the ones he had touched was she wearing this evening. "The book is on the shelf there, I figured it would not hurt to bring it along. Though I warn you, the stealing of the power of an enemy is the topic of many spells in that book."

"No matter, I can narrow it down. I just need to read through it again."

Severus nodded and looked at the time, though before he could say anything she added, "There is one final thing we should discuss before we go. Don't you think we should at least practice a kiss, just incase we are put in some kind of situation where that might be expected of us?" She had to admit it was a bit of a selfish question on her part, but it had also come from her experience working undercover. If the kiss was not convincing, all things fell apart.

At this her dark ex-professor merely laughed, "My dear, Miss Thornbridge." His tone was almost jovial, "I assure you that if the time comes for this, it will work out perfectly fine." The look on her face was that of clear disbelief in what he was saying. "I've been a spy since before you were born, and I am as competent with that as I am all other aspects of my work." He leaned closer to her, putting one hand on the sofa very close to her thigh, "I assure you," he whispered to her, his dark eyes drilling deeply into her amber ones.

She swallowed slightly at this, her cheeks burning. Hermione was more than thankful for the grandfather clock in the room to strike 7pm on the dot, releasing her from his seductive stare. "Shall we then?" She asked getting up quickly and moving toward the door. She didn't see the huge grin on Severus' face as he placed his hand on the small of her uncovered back and escorted her out the door.


	5. Where Do Pearls Go?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :-)**

 **Note:** Slowly but steadily I'm doing my best to move these stories forward. I hope you enjoy this chapter, the goal is setting up the characters and setting the stage for some more dark things to come.

I am always open for your thoughts, ideas and critique. I'd love to thank my beta, she was able to proof read half of this chapter before her own busy schedule got in the way.

 **Chapter 4 - Where do Pearls Go?**

The Welcome Ball for the 837th Annual International Meeting of Potions Masters and Mistresses was in full swing as Hermione swirled some red wine around in her glass. It was a horribly boring affair to say the least. Severus had been pulled away from her almost immediately to have photos taken for the event. Photos for both the governing society and with some of his, what she deemed, "Fan People."

The younger attendees seemed quite apt to have a photo with the speaker of honor, and both men and women swooned almost to the extreme, in her opinion, over her tall, dark and handsome escort. That left her with little to do other than keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Having already walked the crowd, smiling and nodding to those she passed and having checked all the possible entry points to the Grand Ballroom of the hotel, she stood at the edge of the crowd, a clear outsider to the group, watching the events of the evening unfold in all of their old stuffy glory.

She was about to put the glass to her lips as a voice from behind her spoke. "I am almost ashamed to consider myself one of them," said the heavily accented, masculine, Italian voice from behind her, his breath warm on her neck. "Look at them all going about their business, laughing and drinking and yet blind to the beauty standing here in the corner."

Hermione turned toward her mystery companion to see the very attractive face of one of her main suspects. Taking her free hand in his and kissing it, he continued, "Marco Bellante. I am this year's organizer for the event. It would pain me deeply to know that not all of my guests are having a good time, Miss…"

"Thornbridge. Elizabeth Thornbridge," Hermione replied putting on a slightly coy demeanor. The longer she could keep him talking the better. Of her two main suspects, he was the one that she knew the least about. His picture in her dossier had certainly not done him justice though. He was taller than she would have expected, with olive toned skin and green eyes. His dark hair was cut in a very stylish way, a little longer on the top and short on the sides. His beard was cut short and was so typically Italian and yet so nice to look at, she couldn't help but find him physically attractive.

Trim and fit, most of the young women and almost all of the older ladies (probably some of the men too) would have absolutely died to have him speak to them. Hermione on the other hand, knew this character of man very well. Her involvement in the dark arts had lead her down many paths and often the most seductive routes were the most dangerous.

"So tell me, what is it that you do, Mr. Bellante?" Hermione asked, throwing him her most ravishing smile.

"Oh, well you know. I dabble a bit in this and that," Marco replied, moving closer to her so that they would not have to speak above a whisper. He was so close to her now that she could smell his cologne.

Hermione arched her eyebrow in clear apprehension, spurring the dark wizard in front of her on. Seeing he would need to impress this young witch in front of him, Marco leaned even closer to her, his lips almost brushing against her ear, "Well, you know I am working on a few cutting edge potions. Things that will revolutionize the field."

"Oh really?" Hermione remarked, noting that the sarcasm of Severus Snape had already rubbed off on her a bit. She doubted greatly that he had anything groundbreaking to add to the discipline. Having read his dossier Hermione knew he had attended good schools but had always been an average to below average achiever. His only true distinction, if one could really consider it as such, was charming his way onto publications and into the best apprenticeships. There was no doubt that the art of the con was truly an intelligence of a different kind and deserving of its own respect. Though you had to be unaware it was coming to be taken in. Hermione moved in closer, they were almost chest to chest now, and motioned him to continue his thoughts.

Clearly in the mood to impress, the attractive man put on his best smile, "Well, you see...I am working on a potion that helps protect against Shadow Creatures."

At this, she smiled broadly, showing him a hint of the actual admiration she had for him engaging in such a pursuit. Shadow Creatures were always a subject of discussion and research, but nobody had made much progress on them in the literature. If he or anybody he knew was actually doing this, it would be quite an achievement. Though this was the least of her concern at the moment, inside Hermione was grinning that grin one makes when they are onto something, knowing that if she played her cards right he would tell her much, much more. Taking a moment, she looked in his eyes, casually placed her hand on his rather muscular shoulder and asked, "But isn't that dangerous?"

Placing his hand over hers he said, "Well of course it is, but I live for danger."

Her heart was thumping in her chest, a clear sign that she was on the right track. She could feel a blush creep into her cheeks despite herself. He was so close to her now that she wasn't sure if he would take her up in his arms and kiss her, or stare at her until she melted. Internally she did her best to shake off the man's infectious charm. She needed to focus on the task at hand, but before Hermione could react, she felt a strong hand wrap around her waist and pull her back, ripping her from Marco's hypnotic eyes. The familiar voice of her undercover partner and faux-fiancé followed.

"Marco, I thought you learned the last time we met to keep your hands off of what is clearly mine." There was a venom in Severus' voice that made Hermione curious as to what he was referring to. At the same time she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the chance he had just quashed.

Marco stammered, "Severus. I ...I had no idea she was…"

"My fiancé." Severus filled in, eyebrow raised the condescension in his voice as thick as Marco's expensive cologne.

Had Hermione not known better she could have sworn there was a glint of fear in the young Italian man's eye. Though before Severus could continue she cut in, "Darling, Marco was just telling me about his new potions work with Shadow Creatures." Her emphasis on the last two words was a vain attempt to get him focused on their actual mission and not on personal scores.

"Oh really?" Severus' tone was one of sarcasm and annoyance as he took the glass of wine out of Hermione's hand and took a sip. "Well do spit it out Marco. Let's see if you actually have something of academic merit this time."

This made her fume. ' _Of all the stupid things! I'm this close to getting him to say something and the 'world's greatest spy' waltzes in and screws it all up.'_

Clearly angered by Severus' words, Marco began, "That is none of your business Severus. I was merely making conversation with your captivating…"

It was then that Marco was cut off by a shrill female voice with, what Hermione presumed to be, a Romanian accent, "Severus, my darling! Always the most popular man at the party. You can't hide from me forever."

Hermione turned to see the beautiful face of Morgana, her other main suspect, with what looked like her apprentice in tow. Morgana was blonde with long, full hair ending at her waist. Her blue eyes had slivers of ice and grey in them, which made her exotic looking. Though she wore too much makeup for Hermione's taste, she definitely had her style. A style that often made men drag themselves across the floor over broken glass to speak with her. The dark witch, who had been an occult priestess in Romania during the time of Voldemort, embraced Severus familiarly and kissed him so passionately on the lips that Hermione nearly slapped the lipstick right off of her. Morgana's large full breasts pressed against Severus' chest for extra emphasis as she did so.

Unable to hide the fact that she had been taken off guard, Hermione couldn't help but ball her fists up slightly, feeling a twinge of jealousy as the older, still very attractive witch monopolized her 'fiancé.' The fact that Severus didn't seem to mind or fight back, made her all the more furious.

"It's been a long time, Morgana," Severus said as they appraised one another, a slight grin on his face.

"Elizabeth Thornbridge." Hermione said, injecting herself into the conversation, and extending a hand rigidly to her competitor. Giving Hermione a slightly confused look, Morgana turned her ravishing blue eyes toward Severus.

"Allow me to introduce my fiancé." Severus said stiffly, internally curious as to how the rest of the weekend would go with the two of them in the same hotel. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that he had seen a bit of proper jealousy cross the face of the ever vigilant Miss Granger.

A thinly veiled moment of surprise crossed Morgana's face as she extended her hand, as if Hermione should kiss it, "Oh, how….quaint," she said, not hiding her disapproval at the situation. A look quickly passed between Morgana and Marco as the older blonde witch refocused her attention on Severus.

"We must all have dinner one of these nights. It's been so long." Morgana moved closer to Severus than she already was and continued. "And it would do us all well to remember the good times." At this both Morgana and Marco smiled, looking at Severus to judge his reaction.

"If by good times you mean discovering you and Marco in my bed and nearly hexing his balls off, then by all means," Severus sneered, "let's all have dinner." Condescension and anger rolled off his tongue as he finished his sentence. Marco was clearly nervous, Morgana merely laughed it off.

"Oh, my darling, Severus. We are all adults now and we have all grown from this," Morgana said, trying to save the conversation, her eyes set on her prize.

A protracted silence followed until Hermione decided that enough was enough, "And I'm sorry you are?" she smiled extending her hand to the mousey, blonde, thick glasses wearing assistant of Morgana. She seemed to be hiding from the conflict almost in the folds of Morgana's voluminous robes, but Hermione could tell she was paying attention to everything.

At the direct question the little woman almost squeaked and ran, but then finally turned her eyes to Hermione and shook her hand, "My name is Claire," said the woman, in a much less accented voice than Morgana.

"It's nice to meet you Claire, I'm Elizabeth," Hermione said, refocusing the conversation away from what seemed to be the not so distant past.

Once Hermione had opened herself up to Claire, it was as if the young woman couldn't keep her eyes off her. It was an odd feeling that Hermione couldn't quite place, but seeing as Morgana treated the woman as a slave rather than an apprentice, she could understand that being nice to her counted for something.

It was a raven that drew Hermione away from her musings, it landed on Morgana's shoulder and cackled as they often did. Petting the bird and giving it words of encouragement in a language that Hermione could not understand she said, "I have some business to attend to. Please, Severus. Find me over the next days. It would be very... gratifying to catch up with you." She slid a pale hand over Severus' cheek. It was with that that Morgana left them, moving through the crowd.

Hermione and Severus shared a look, but before she could even speak to her ex-potions master, the band stopped and an announcement was given, "Ladies and Gentlemen. Masters and Mistresses, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this event."

There was clapping to fill the silence.

The voice continued, "As chairman of this committee, I would like to thank Mr. Marco Bellante for organizing a great event here in Florence. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our speaker of honor this weekend, Mr. Severus Snape."

It was with that, that all heads turned in the direction of Severus and Hermione, polite clapping followed. Hermione watched Severus nod slightly, acknowledging his colleagues. "Could I please ask for Mr. Snape and his fiancée to come forward? As is tradition, you shall begin our first waltz."

Severus was amazed at the amount of self satisfaction he got from watching his beautiful Miss Granger turn pale. He truly enjoyed putting her on the back foot, and relished this moment more than perhaps he should have. The last he could recall watching her dance was the terrible ball in her 4th year, which left her crying on the stairs after Weasley's rejection of her. He mused at how many of these feelings were coming back to her while he took her by the hand and lead her to the front of the room.

The Master of Ceremonies could have said, "Come up here and bark like a dog," and Hermione would have been more keen on doing that than waltzing with Severus Snape. Of all the things they learned about undercover work in school, dancing had been a clear weakness for her. She threw a sideways glance at her dark partner and wondered how much enjoyment he was getting out of this moment. The last time she'd truly danced had been at the Yule Ball the year of the Triwizard Tournament….that had gone terribly in so many ways. The parallels with this particular situation hadn't gone unnoticed by her either. She had so many things to be upset about and to consider regarding the case.

She could have killed Snape in that moment, had there not been an evil wizard who had also intended to do so. He had never told her about his link to both the main suspects, which was more than curious and clearly some kind of sick love triangle. Aside from that she was struggling with feelings for him that went way beyond what she could have imagined and finally….well he was just being Severus Snape. Self-serving and offish.

' _Again, why did I ever admit to myself that I like him?'_ she thought as they found their mark in the middle of the ballroom.

Sensing her anxiety he whispered to her as they took their positions, "Just start with the right foot." Her glare in response almost raised a chuckle from him.

There was a devilish grin that went along with that advice. Severus was a rather gifted dancer and would have no issue teaching her on the spot, ' _If you are willing to go against your instincts and follow me.'_

They had been jockeying for position mentally since they had met earlier that evening, Severus couldn't deny that he had more than a slight interest in the physical side of it as well. Even though it was wrong, these feelings were not right - '... _she's too young for me and I'm…'_ the music began before he could finish his thoughts. He looked into her eyes and could see the slight flash of fear before he began to glide with her gently across the floor. Leading was all about knowing your partner and giving her cues that were clear and concise.

A gentle push of the hand, a slight pressure on the waist all were cues that Miss Granger was taking well...though he delighted to see her squirming inside. Her brown and gold flecked eyes could not mask her absolute annoyance at his lead, how he had put her in a situation where she was completely uncomfortable without warning her and was now indulging his schadenfreude. They were beautiful eyes, that he could not deny. They held an intelligence and thirst for knowledge that were unequaled. They also held a maturity he had not been ready for and a charm that was intoxicating and dangerous. ' _All this, and I still cannot thank her.'_

For her part, Hermione couldn't believe how well this was actually going. Not that this would change the fact that she was going to give Severus a piece of her mind on several events that had happened that evening, but at least she was maintaining a rather good cover. Around them, people were smiling, men were raking their eyes over her body as she and Severus were maintaining the illusion of their partnership. For as much as she would have loved to take a closer look at the expressions on the faces of the attendees as they waltzed by, she was terrified that she would make a wrong step and trip either herself or Severus. Also, for as much as she hated to admit it to herself, she couldn't take her eyes off his. He was an accomplished legilimens, which could account for the way he really looked through you, made you feel bare to him. ' _Not more than two minutes earlier I would have smacked him across the face, now I'm falling for those damn eyes. If you're listening Severus Snape, screw you!'_

Even though it had felt like an eternity only two or three minutes had passed before the rest of the Potions Masters and Mistresses joined them on the ballroom floor. Severus could feel the tension slowly leave Hermione's shoulders as the crowd turned their attention to their own dance steps and not those of him and his partner. Only now did he have the chance to reflect on the anger he had felt toward her when he had found her almost body to body with Marco. Of course it had brought back old memories and there was a rush of adrenaline associated with catching his partner, no matter whether real or a concocted cover, in this man's arms. However this was not completely the point. Hermione had no idea what he was capable of behind his green eyes and charismatic grin. Severus had simply wanted to protect her from him and nothing more. In order to be jealous one had to actually have feelings for a person to feel betrayed and he clearly, under no circumstances could feel anything for Miss Granger. She had been his student, a know-it-all pain in his neck, now his undercover partner and even his saviour and Severus knew that he could not allow her to fill any more perceived voids in his life. She had figuratively thrust herself upon him more than enough over the years and he was determined to snuff out any feelings as they came up. Yet as his fingertips brushed her bare back and her eyes softened toward him he couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest, ' _Focus on the investigation.' he told himself, 'The sooner you find this mad man... no person,' he corrected, '...then you can get her out of your life for good.'_

"May I?" an all too familiar Romanian woman's voice pierced his internal monologue as Morgana gestured to cut in.

Severus had neglected to tell his fiancee that just as the first dance was tradition, so was it that the speaker of honor and their partner were to dance with all attendees. He watched Hermione's expression harden toward him as a young gentleman took this opportunity to scoop her up and waltz with her deep into the crowd. Severus nodded and looked into Morgana's eyes, knowing it was anything but coincidence that both she and her accomplice had come at the same time. If there was one redeeming feature about his ex-girlfriend, it was that she was rather cunning when it came to getting what she wanted. He admired that about her, particularly when it went his way. It was also not lost on him that this dance would be an exceptionally good way to come in contact with most of the attendees and considering the boldness of this evil witch or wizard it was likely that they would be bold enough to dance with them. Severus eyed Morgana with as much objective distance as he could. After all he was holding one of the main suspects in his arms, and what better way to gauge whether she truly wanted him dead to further her dark aspirations than now? ' _Are you capable of this my dear?'_

* * *

It was proving more difficult than she had imagined to quell her own anger, but Hermione was trying her absolute best and in the only way she knew how, with focus. She would certainly be giving Severus Snape a piece of her mind, but until that glorious moment she would have to make sure she focused on her professional duties, which consisted mainly of finding the person who was trying to kill him. Their investigation had lead them to be the bait at this event and without even being able to determine the gender of the perpetrator, Hermione was determined to interview every Potions Master she came in contact with. If you took her own personal emotions and pride out of the whole equation, the waltzing tradition of the Potions Masters and Mistresses Society was the perfect way to gain access to almost every attendee without arousing any suspicion. On the flip side, it was also a perfect way for somebody with ill meaning intentions to get close to them. This thought excited her, there was no doubt, but it also kept her vigilant. As time wore on however, her feigned exuberance for the waltz had long left her. By now she had probably danced with just about every male in attendance, no matter whether they were old, young, fat, thin, a good dancer or a terrible dancer, she had talked to them, smiled at them and done whatever she could to dig a little deeper. It was to her great frustration that nobody stood out at all. Some were odder than others, more evil looking than others but that wasn't a crime. For the moment she was at a dead end and she begrudgingly hoped Severus had been luckier than she.

Hermione's current dance partner was rather inexperienced so it didn't surprise her to suddenly crash against another couple. "Excuse us." she said turning to find Severus and Claire dancing together. The poor little mouse had nearly jumped out of her dress when they made contact. Severus merely smiled and nodded, Hermione put on her best smile but made sure her eyes communicated that she still had not forgotten about earlier. If she hadn't known any better, she could have sworn that Severus liked it. It was to Hermione's great relief, that she did not have much time to consider this thought as the band began to signal the end of their music and the crowd began to thin out leaving them almost alone where they had started to dance hours before. With a quick nod Severus motioned them leave the ballroom through the side doors and go up a back stairway almost as if he knew she was going to start arguing with him the minute they had cleared the crowd. ' _Guilty conscious?'_ she wondered.

As he offered his arm to her so they could scale the stairs to their second floor room, Severus was met with stiff resistance, "Oh now you decide it's time to be a gentleman?" the sarcasm dripped from Hermione's words as she glared at him.

"I beg your pardon?" Severus asked raising an eyebrow in apprehension. He knew very well why she was angry and would perhaps even agree that she had a right to be, but this was not the time or the place. ' _Surely you aren't so dense as to do this here?'_

"What was that in there? Some kind of social experiment?" Her hands were on her hips, her head cocked to the side. Oh she was quite angry but Severus couldn't help but find the flush it gave her cheeks rather cute.

He made a grab for her hand but she moved it before he could catch it, "Why don't we take this upstairs?" He struggled to keep his voice to a whisper.

"Don't you touch me." Hermione shot back, "I thought we were in this together. I thought, we were…" he could tell she was looking for the proper words and this was a dangerous thing for their cover. "...partners in all of this. That was anything but partnership back there." Her arms were crossed across her chest, her foot tapping on the ground and she gave no hint of budging. She was slowly closing off his options whether she knew it or not.

"You know I couldn't agree more." With that, before she even had a chance to react, he scooped her up over his shoulder and proceeded to move up the stairs. Hermione watched the bottom of the stairs grow smaller as they made their way up, unable to see the rather large grin on her Potion Master's face.

"Put me down! You put me down this instant!" She was struggling now, squirming in his rather firm grasp and kicking. It was somewhat half-hearted she had to admit to herself, she was sort of living a dirty fantasy at the moment. The helpless young lady scooped up in the arms of an evil dark wizard...but this wasn't the time to lose herself in these fantasies. Severus had put the investigation at risk and disrespected her in the process.

Severus adjusted her on his shoulder making sure he could hold her legs down to avoid any injury to his person. Had this been another life or if she had been any other woman than Hermione Granger, he would have been more than willing to settle their dispute wrestling between the sheets. Making sure to press her buttons until her face was red with anger, then have her rip his clothes off and have her way with him. But no, this was not just any woman. She had given him something at risk to herself, she had been selfless and she had cared. This woman deserved more respect than he could give. He groaned when his manhood began to tighten against his trousers despite these thoughts, this was getting annoying.

She was still struggling when he shut their room door behind them and cast a silent 'lumus' spell to light some of the candles in the sitting room of their suite. One thing was for certain, she was by far the most stubborn woman he had known. "I'll let you down the moment you stop fighting me."

He knew this would make her even more upset, but he just couldn't help himself. It took her a couple of moments to hear, process and then respond to what he had just said. The stillness of her body signalled her readiness to be put down and he complied, bending over slightly to bring her gently to the ground. He couldn't help but smirk at how wound up and cute she was in this moment, like an angry little bunny rabbit.

"I suppose you find that funny?" She asked through gritted teeth, her hair ascue and her makeup smudged.

"I was just thinking that if you ate more it would be more difficult for people to get away with such things."

Hermione snorted in response and turned her head away. He took this as an opportunity to walk to the small liquor cabinet in the sitting room and pour them each a glass of whisky. She took a glass from his hand begrudgingly, still standing where he had put her down. Hermione was trying to find the words to express herself when Severus spoke, "I made a poor decision on that Miss Granger. You deserved to know my history with both Marco and Morgana before we went downstairs. I just…." he sat on the small couch and crossed his legs, making himself more comfortable, "I just thought it would be of a greater value to have you come into the situation with an open mind."

At this she turned her face toward him. The candles were low and the shadows accentuated his strong facial features. It was clear to her that he was being genuine. "I was onto something with Marco, actually getting something that might have been useful and you just sweep in and muck it all up."

"Oh that?" Severus remarked bringing his glass to his lips. He nearly chuckled, "I did you a favor there. Marco always wants to put his hands on or his cock in anything that's mine. Playing that little game with him just made you woman number one on his list. The benefits of knowing somebody for a long time I would say." He watched her expression change to disbelief. "You can thank me later." The self-righteous smirk on his face covered the feeling in his chest when he thought about how wantingly she had been looking at Marco when Severus had caught them.

It took Hermione a moment to understand what he had just said, and she was floored by it. ' _How could I not have realized this?'_

"Let's make one thing clear Professor, my interest in him is only professional." She took a sip of her glass. So he had been fanning the flames instead of putting them out? Perhaps he was a better spy than she gave him credit for. "Were you able to find anything else out?"

"No." Severus said calmly. "Did you?" Hermione shook her head in response.

Silence permeated the room as a feeling of defeat fell over Hermione. There was nothing more to do now than to calm down and rest before the begin of the conference tomorrow. It would be a new day after all. She began to walk toward the bedroom glancing briefly at her reflection in the mirror. She did a double take, one of her pearl earrings had gone missing. ' _For the love of Merlin!'_ She loved those earrings, they were beautiful and expensive - this day couldn't be finished fast enough.

"We'll find it in the morning." She could hear Severus say from the couch.

' _What an ass, he can't even tell me when he noticed?'_ Hermione rolled her eyes.

At this point she was so tired that she almost didn't care. Dejected, she made her way to the bedroom opening the double doors and bending over to remove her shoes. The candles came on higher and brighter in the bedroom and for this she was grateful. She had had enough of darkness for one day, all she could think of was a warm shower and some clean sheets on her skin. She tossed her heels into the corner and welcomed the relief her feet felt on the flat surface of the bedroom floor. Next she sat on the bed, releasing her hair from its repressive bobby-pin prison, shaking it from side to side. It was only then that she noticed something was out of place. It didn't jump out at her immediately but as her eyes roved over the freshly made bed she noticed a small black box, no larger than small box to hold jewellery sitting plainly on the bed, a panther engraved on the top.

Hermione took a deep breath, the room had been secured before they left it. Both she and Severus had sealed it to their individual and particular specifications, so how could this have happened? The thought of the power a witch or wizard had to possess to get past them, made her blood run cold and her throat dry, it also electrified her. "Professor." she squeaked, her throat still not wet enough to make a proper sound. Not taking her eyes off the box she tried again, a little louder than before, "Professor, come here!"

' _It is really not the time for this!'_ Severus groaned to himself. The whisky was just getting good, the couch had just become comfortable and he had been replaying the events of the day in his head looking for anomalies. The last thing he needed was another a lecture from an Auror with a chip on her shoulder, particularly after he had already admitted to his part in the so called 'wrongdoing'. So, naturally, he ignored her.

"Severus Goddammit they were here!" she screamed, still not lifting her gaze from the box. Merlin only knew what was inside and what it could do, it was best not to move until they could decide how to open it.

It was with proper anger that Severus entered the room, not sure how to explain to her that she was taking it too far. Upon entering their lavish bedroom, however, it became very clear that something wasn't right. The fear in her eyes, the direction of her gaze, the box on the bed. They shared a quick glance and Severus pulled out his wand. Casting a containment spell around the box. They counted to three and Hermione lifted herself from the mattress. She sighed a gentle bit of relief to see it wasn't a proximity or pressure bomb.

"What do you think it is?" Severus asked her, not taking his eyes off the box.

"A proposal?" she replied dryly as she drew her own wand from her gown. The box was so little it could have been an engagement ring, well in the Muggle world anyway. In the wizarding world size certainly wasn't telling, it was the person who charmed the object. If Hermione had learned anything in her short career as an Auror, it was that dark witches and wizards had a sort of sick, yet inventive humor about these things. She threw a quick glance at Severus to see that, he too, had his wand at the ready. On his go they began to cast diagnostic spells in tandem. It was never a bad thing to go over items with a high probability of being cursed more than once, one never knew what safeguards the maker had built in and how they could be triggered.

Once they were both satisfied that there was no danger in touching or opening the box, Severus reached for it but Hermione was faster. At the utter look of shock on his face she simply said, "I'm here to protect you, don't forget that."

"Forgive me for trying to be a gentleman." He replied sarcastically and motioned she continue with the box.

With a slight grin on her face Hermione slowly pulled back the lid of the box, and gasped at its contents. There was a miniature note and the setting of her earring, the pearl missing. Severus took the note and brought it to normal size as Hermione returned to her seated position on the bed, the small box still in her hand. She was shocked, breathless actually, as she tried to piece together when this could have happened. This person, this thing had been close enough to take her earring directly off her body. Her training should have prepared her for this eventuality, but somehow it had failed her. She was almost in a trance as Severus began to read the note aloud.

' _Dear Mr. Snape,_

 _It's difficult to express the feeling of being so close to you, of having had the opportunity to observe you at such close range, smell you...almost taste you. Do tell your delicious young lady, might I add almost too young for a man of your distinction, thank you for serving the final ingredient I required on a silver platter for me. It will make squeezing the life out of you even more poetic. Your slow demise and my rise will start here, can you feel it? Can you hear it? Can you taste it?'_

The grins that crossed their faces were almost mirror images of one another's, but to Severus' shagrin Hermione was again faster. Within seconds her hand lifted and the book Potions Interdictae flew into it. ' _Touche my dear Miss Granger.'_ His groin tightened again, despite his better judgement.

"Of course." Severus mused out loud stroking his chin in contemplation. "Pearls are known for their ability to not only retain magic but amplify it. There could only be a few potions that even require such an ingredient…."

Hermione was flipping through the book in a quick tact, "Actually," she began in a very reminiscent 'know-it-all' tone, "there are only two potions that require pearls to complete them." She was almost in a trance as she flipped feverishly through the pages of the banned book. "I believe it's this one." She enunciated 'one' as she turned the book over from her seated position on the bed and turned it to face Severus.

Eyebrow raised he removed the book from her hands and translated the latin script into English,"To infuse with the power of my enemy". It was a dark potion that stripped the lifeforce and the power of another wizard to feed and magnify the power of another. There were numerous reasons why this potion had been banned, it required that the wizard whose power was being drained to stay alive, to live in a sort of purgatory between life and death. It was a cruel and painful existence. One that would certainly please his evil admirer. It was an obscure spell, Wizards preferred fancy wand waving to the real and often underestimated power of potions. Whoever this was, they were evil but first and foremost a potions specialist.

Severus looked up from the book only to comment on what he knew would be Hermione's smug grin, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you would get some kind of sadistic pleasure from my ending up in such a state."

It was impossible for Hermione to suppress the smile that crossed her lips. As their eyes met something passed between them, a levity and a sense of respect that made Hermione's chest swell. Severus had a dry sense of humor but she had never truly enjoyed it until now. He was an intensely private man and yet she could see the armor cracking, but it was a roller coaster. In less than 24 hours she had gone from loving to hating to loving this man and was almost embarrassed to admit it excited her. There was no one she would rather be putting her life in danger him than him and there was no one more she would have liked to strangle than him.

"So we have exactly three days, no more and no less." Severus said. He didn't care about the timeframe though, he was more focused on Miss Granger's lips. They were full and contemplative. He would have given almost anything to know what she was thinking about at this moment, to have some insight into her amazingly bright and complex brain. He knew the next three days would be trying at best. The only way for his admirer to establish him as an enemy, thus fulfilling the requirements of the potion, would be to have some form of, shall we say negative interaction on a more dangerous level than they had experienced tonight. He by no means doubted her competence to get them out of a sticky situation, but did she have the experience to do what needed to be done? Her outburst this evening had been unanticipated and, if he knew anything about undercover work, it was that you needed to swallow your personal feelings. What he feared the most was that their feelings were starting to…..converge.

Severus took her silence as acceptance and began to prepare himself for bed. It was well past 1am and they would both need to get their sleep if they were to be ready to defeat the darkness that now plagued them both.


	6. Containment

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, just contributing to the wealth of fanfic lit out there.

 **Note:** It's been so long since I've published something. Life has been crazy and it makes me happy to finally put something online. This chapter could use some sculpting and some changes, but it progresses our story along, brings our main characters and hopefully adds a little bit of mystery and action. I have not written any mystery lit before and I know I can improve on how I describe action. So as always a work in progress. As always, your comments, criticisms and desires are important to me. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Containment**

Hermione shook hands and greeted the young Potions Apprentices with all the grace and beauty of a woman who would be soon married to one of the most influential Potions Masters of their time. It was an honor for them to come and help Severus prepare for his brewing session later in the day. The preparation of the ingredients for his live brewing session would require all of their skill and patience to take the mass of ingredients, sort and cut them into the proper forms for his newly created Wolfsbane potion. Sweaty palm, after sweaty palm, after awkward smile passed as she greeted them, looking for any nefarious intentions in their eyes. In these instances there was always a second motive, her handshake was keenly tuned through a rather clever charm of her own design, to detect weapons and poisons. If any of these pimple faced, big eyed apprentices was going to cause serious trouble, she would know it in an instant. But alas, as the last student scuffled in, almost tripping on his robes and spilling onto the floor, Hermione could not with any certainty say that the panther was ready to strike now. The warning of last night had indeed left her shaken, but also with a stronger resolve to find, capture and put this killer in Azkaban before it was too late.

Wiping her hands in the folds of her robes, just to get the 'teenaged mutant' slime and smell off, she situated herself at the back of the small conference room turned potions lab. At the sound of Severus' voice starting a lecture she was transported back to her youth, to a time when she had to kick Ron and Harry just to make sure they were listening or glare at them so that more house points would not be taken away by their most despised teacher. Hermione couldn't deny that she looked back fondly on those years now, Severus had pushed them to the limit and they had all improved greatly in that subject during their years at Hogwarts. She had liked it and had grown from it. Though it struck her only then how much things had both changed and stayed the same over these years. Hermione smiled at the sense of familiarity and at the realization that she had perhaps always been drawn to the dark bookish man at the front of the room, before she even knew what real attraction was. She inhaled at the possibility of things to come, then quickly dismissed this childish thought as she refocused her attention on the front of the room.

Severus found himself standing a little taller and correcting his students a little harsher when he noticed Miss Granger's stunning amber eyes settle upon him. The only time he had ever truly felt the need to impress a woman was when he was a boy, at a time when he didn't have anything to impress her with. He had been young and stupid then, and would make that as one of his few failures in life. Since that traumatic experience he had not found the need, nor the want to impress the opposite sex ever again. Aside from that his position in the Death Eaters had afforded him the opportunity to choose women as he wanted, for what he wanted. This had been amusing at the time, but never fulfilling. It was not until this particular trip with the difficult and somewhat unpredictable Miss Granger that he had really gained a sense for how much the adoration of another was missing in his life. Where he began to comprehend how good it made him feel have a bit of fun competition with another, to bounce ideas off of an equal...to share a motivation and work together for something. He could not savor the thought for long as he smacked a particularly chatty group of apprentices with the parchment list he was carrying, "Less talk and more cutting." He sneered.

With a quick motion of his head, he beckoned Hermione to join him in walking the room and observing the work of the young would-be Potions Masters. It was unclear to him what he would have done had she kept her eyes on him for the duration of the preparation workshop. Though watching her walk around the room, her careful and detailed eye appraising the work of the students, gave him a feeling in his gut and chest he could not properly describe. Yet he knew what that feeling was, for as much as he didn't want to admit it the curly haired know-it-all had gotten under his skin. She had burrowed in, and awoke something inside of him that had all but died. This feeling was uncomfortable, threatening and also exhilarating. Severus was so lost in the turmoil of his innermost feelings that he had almost needed to hear his name a second time before realizing that Hermione was calling him over.

"Severus, this young man thought it might be funny to bring some Nightshade with him to this event." Hermione had the young man by the wrist, that haughty look in her eye as Severus stood imposingly in front of them. Nightshade was not an uncommon ingredient for someone in his line of work to keep on their person. As she must have known well by now, Potions Masters had many hidden pockets in their robes, which contained vials of certain ingredients that might be useful in a pinch. Severus considered the offense a while longer. His potion was particularly volatile around Nightshade, only a handful of the plant could send the whole room up in smoke. ' _But could this dunder head of a boy really know that? Perhaps it's just a novice oversight?'_ He observed the dark haired young man a little longer.

Snatching the Nightshade out of the young man's hands and raising it to the light, he couldn't deny it was good quality. Truly good Nightshade was very hard to come by. Turning his head to the dark haired lad Severus said, "I'll be taking that. Go wash your hands and start separating the werewolf's blood. That should teach you a lesson for bringing a volatile substance into my potions laboratory." Opening his mouth to protest the young man was stopped by the threatening raise of an eyebrow that accompanied Severus' motion for him to get up. Werewolf's blood was stinky inducing gag reflexes particularly in those less used to working with it. It was, of course, also dangerous - if it got in your eyes or on an open patch of skin there was a chance you could turn. One had to be careful in handling it. The young man skulked off, hiding his satisfied grin from both Severus and Hermione as he walked to the back of the room to begin his nauseating task. "The rest of you get back to work." Severus said with only a thin veil of restraint in his voice.

Hermione shook the lingering smell of Nightshade out of her nose, she hated the plant and was particularly sensitive even to the smallest quantities. She eyed Severus as they walked toward the side of the classroom, somewhat away from the students working. "You've gotten soft in your advanced age." Hermione whispered, "Letting him off with only a warning and a bit of blood work." The last part was meant to be sarcastic, but she was indeed surprised that there wasn't any more drama surrounding the whole incident.

Crossing his arms and turning his head only slightly to her, Severus began, "What would you have me do? Remove house points for such an innocent infraction?" He caught her look of utter disbelief from his peripheral vision and continued, "When I took house points from you, you always deserved it. Besides, it's only volatile if we were actually brewing the potion, and that amount wouldn't have done much."

Hermione merely crossed her arms and snorted at his reply, keeping her eyes trained on the students. It was surprising to her that he could be so relaxed about such an infraction while his life was at risk. Talking as if young people were not capable of something as grand as tarnishing his image and blowing up half the hotel. He should have known from their time together at Hogwarts that young people were more than capable of getting into and out of all sorts of trouble. Though he had a point, they couldn't go barking up all possible trees without a real and credible threat. These operations were so tentative, particularly when you were just sitting around waiting for something to happen. This was first and foremost in her mind as she and Severus walked up and down the aisles of students, making sure they completed their work and putting everything in order for later that day. They were so caught up in their work, that neither one of them noticed the dark haired young man from earlier quietly dusting the some of the finished ingredients with Nightshade.

* * *

The murmur of the crowd was louder than Hermione expected as many of the highest ranking Potions Masters and Mistresses settled themselves into the large auditorium. She had chosen to stand to the left side of the stage about midway between the back of the room and the stage. This position afforded her a proper view of both the audience and Severus. She hated using Severus, or anyone else in her charge as bait. There was always that lingering feeling that something could go terribly wrong, regardless of whether the bait could protect itself properly or not.

Hermione gave the odd superficial smile to Morgana and her assistant as they filed into the front row. She couldn't help but feel that something was not right with that woman, but truly hoped it was her own personal feeling of distaste for her and not proper intuition regarding the case. Marco was nowhere to be seen, this made Hermione more uneasy. Something was going to happen and she could feel her blood pressure rising, adrenaline pumping into her system.

Severus looked out onto the crowd that had gathered for his live brewing session. He would discuss his new Wolfsbane potion and offer tips for getting it right, whilst panning the audience for his new found dark admirer. He was pleased that Hermione seemed relaxed as she stood on the side of the room and scanned the crowd. They had discussed their plan in depth and had agreed the only way to draw out the dark force was to bait it. Hermione had not liked it, had protested furiously to the point that the had to grip her by her shoulders and remind her of who he was and what he was capable of. Questions were still swirling in his mind though, ' _Why did you cry for me all those years ago? Why are you so protective now?'_ She certainly was not easy to read, nor was she easy to anticipate - he liked that about her. He couldn't linger on these thoughts for long though, it was time to start.

There was a seat near the front of the room, satisfied that the doors had shut and no one else could come in, Hermione seated herself there near the stage. She had always found her former professor captivating to listen to. His inflection, what he chose to illuminate with his voice, his hands when he chopped, grated and stirred. You could see the prideful Slytherin part of him in those moments. The room filled with the smells of his bubbling potion and Hermione had to fight the urge to reminisce about earlier times in his class. Her eyes swept the crowd and she recognized some faces from the ball and some of the young apprentices from earlier in the day. The face of the troublemaker stood out most of all, she hesitated allowing herself some time to digest what she was seeing. The dark haired young man was on the edge of his seat, hands in his lap, his eyebrow twitched as if he was anticipating something.

It was wrong, all of it was wrong. This apprentice, how he was acting, his actions in the morning, all of it made Hermione's mouth run dry with the feeling of an undefinable fear. He would not be talented enough to be Severus' stalker but he could be….

She was ripped from her thoughts by a smell, a smell that should not be anywhere near a bubbling cauldron. ' _Nightshade,'_ she breathed. Given the amount of potion Severus was brewing, it would annihilate the room and everybody in it. Hermione turned her head to the stage, Severus was discussing the properties of the naro root and, as if in slow motion, she could see the pieces slowly falling toward the boiling potion. Her eyes met Severus' and a flicker of acknowledgement flashed across his face before she threw herself on stage, and whipped out her wand, not knowing if she could contain the inevitable blast.

"Continentiam!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Severus could see the fire of the explosion and only had a moment to shield his face from the shock wave that was about to ripple through the crowd. He flexed his core muscles as he felt his body lift from the ground and fly through the air.

Having contained the explosion Hermione could not contain the blowback from it. As she was thrown to the ground she could see a woman in dark robes near the door, a woman she had not seen before. The fact that she was dodging the chaos meant only one thing, that this woman knew it was going to happen. ' _Could it be her?'_ Hermione wondered as she shielded herself from some debris flying toward her.

Blinking a few times to make sure she was still rooted in reality, Hermione took a moment to shake the ash from her mess of curly hair before she bolted for the back door. She didn't have time to be amazed at the fact that she had both contained a massive explosion and come out of it without any injury to her person. Nor did she have time to survey the large ballroom turned potion's lab to see if any of the session attendees had been seriously injured by the sonic wave mixed with ash that had expanded through the room. Now, like a bloodhound picking up a scent, she was hot on the trail of a Dark Witch. The exit door in the back had barely shut itself before she arrived there, the scent of the perpetrator still lingered in the air. ' _Nightshade'_ she thought to herself as she breathed in deep and pushed through the door.

The rain fell strongly on this cool fall day, but it didn't change the beauty of the city. In Florence even the alleyway she currently stood in held a history and a beauty not easily found in the world. Not being particularly dressed for the cold, Hermione pulled her arms around her before she ventured cautiously into the alley. The sound of the rain striking the centuries old stone was loud against the utter silence of this hidden place. She looked both to the right and to the left trying her best to ascertain which way her foe could have gone. The nerves began to rise in her belly, there was no sign of the bomber, no trace of where she had fled. Fighting the rising panic, Hermione wracked her brain to find an answer as to what to do. A grin crossed her face as a deliciously simple solution surfaced. "Rose petals." She breathed.

It was a unique ingredient to Severus' variant of the Wolfsbane potion. The only reason she knew this, was that she had actually taken the time to read through his recipe. The addition of it was ingenious and solved many long standing issues regarding the stability of the potion...and it happened to be traceable with just a muttering and a wave of her wand - or at least she hoped so. Hermione closed her eyes and crossed her fingers, hoping the density of the ingredient would be enough in the ash and soot that had littered the makeshift lecture hall to put a trace the movements of their enemy.

When she opened her eyes she couldn't help but feel the pure delight of a long shot that had ended up working out perfectly. A small golden light emanated from her wand tip and on the floor a trail of footprints leading toward the right of the emergency exit door of the hotel. ' _Got ya_ ,' she smiled. With great care she tiptoed down the alleyway, not thinking about the ice cold rain that had already soaked her to the bone.

* * *

It hadn't taken Severus Snape very long remove all evidence of the contained blast in the ballroom and obliterate the still highly confused gathering of witches and wizards lying in different disheveled states on the floor. He didn't often look back on his old life and thank it, however in this instance one could say that his experience as a Death Eater had developed a certain useful skill set for these kinds of things.

"Thank you very much Ladies and Gentlemen for attending this workshop." He piped up loud enough for all to hear, "Please do see yourselves out."

Without staying long enough for people to ponder why they may be on the ground or blown back in their over plush seats, Severus quickly made his way out the front door of the ballroom and looked from side to side. The assailant had clearly been a young man with dark hair, and if it was indeed Marco he would be damned if that putrid excuse for a Potions Master would get the better of him. The lobby entrance was to the right and it made little sense that any ill-doer would go that way. There were too many witnesses, too high a chance that he would be seen. So, on a hunch, he made his way to the left down a narrow darker hallway, which would have afforded the runner more cover.

Severus was amply rewarded when the turn of the hallway ended in a wide open door. Of course it could be a trap, but that was half the fun of it all. A smirk on his face and his wand drawn he could feel the blood coursing through his veins. Severus had almost forgotten how good to felt to be on the hunt, how much more it excited him than sitting behind his desk and putting quill to parchment. He felt alive and he knew that Hermione did as well. It was a testament to how extraordinary she was to have fled the hall as she had. Her black dress sticking to her body, ash covering her skin and determination etched into her face. Who couldn't admire a woman like that?

The open door lead to a dark service area full of cleaning supplies and dusty chairs. Only the candle light from the poorly lit hallway offered his eyes some hope to make out the twists and turns of the chamber. Careful to breath out through his mouth he made his way slowly through the room only now realizing that he was alone and in the dark, something that had almost gotten him killed just weeks before. His heightened sense of smell picked up on the deadly sweet smell of Nightshade, the ingredient that had almost caused his Wolfsbane potion to blow a crater in the St. Regis Hotel moments before. He had been too focused on his lecture to realize it during his demonstration. Luckily Hermione had caught it. ' _He's here,'_ was the only thought that echoed through his mind.

Careful to slide his feet across the floor, so as to feel out where the borders of the walkable parts of the room were, Severus continued slowly. It was unlikely that another shadow creature would be let loose but one never knew. The fact that Marco was working intensely with them also made Severus suspicious as to whether he had indeed been the mastermind of the entire thing after all. He had always underestimated the more attractive wizard for obvious reasons, and rightfully so. It would be a perfect way for the younger wizard to get what he wanted and ensure that Severus was out of his hair for good.

The sudden sound of movement changed Severus' point of focus, something in the shadows had stirred….and then he saw it. In what seemed like a slow motion take, Severus crossed his hands over himself, right hand toward the ceiling and the left hand toward his stomach casting a defense shield before he was nearly engulfed in flames. The rolling fire lapped at his shield but it could not pass. With a slight push Severus threw the fire back, sending it in the direction from which it came and provoking his adversary in the shadows to run. His quick action and smooth counter attack came at a price, the sudden suction of the air lead several stacked chairs to come crashing down, throwing him to the floor and forcing him to stay there until he was sure they were secure. The man had run out a back door and Severus had to shield his eyes from the natural light as it streamed violently into the room, announcing his target's escape while showing him the way.

Pushing the heavy wooden chairs out of the way and brushing himself off in the process, Severus leapt toward the door and thrust it open, wand at the ready. But his assailant was gone, only the cold draft of a rainy autumn day and the heavy rain of the season change came to greet him. Glad that the hearty wool of his garment would keep him warm despite the downpour, he looked both straight ahead and to his right. There was no sign of the man and unless he had been an animagus he could not have scaled the ten story hotel wall to his left. ' _So where have you gone_?' Severus asked himself as he held one hand over his eyebrows and squinted into the rain.

The way forward was clear from this point, there should be a high enough concentration of rose petals to track him. With that Severus murmured a small incantation and allowed a golden light to come forth from his wand. A man's footprints made a quick golden trail straight ahead and around the next corner and thus Severus gave chase. Not caring if the man heard him coming or not, he could best most wizards in a duel and thus knew he had the upper hand.

Running his fingers through his long black hair in order to keep it out of his face, Severus jogged down the narrow Florentine alleyway and rounded the corner to the left. It was then that his gaze met that of Miss Granger's. She couldn't have been more than 100 m from him, her black dress clung to her body, hugging her feminine form and leaving nothing to the imagination. Small wisps of hair stuck to her face while the rest was pulled back exposing all angles of her face to the rain that assaulted it. He didn't have to know much about the human body to understand that she was cold, her pinkish lips were almost purple her nipples prominent under her soaked garments. She looked like a water nymph, who had wandered too far from home, comfortable in the streaming gales of rain and yet so out of place standing there before him in the streets. She embodied a seductress unaware of the true magic she held over him, he wanted too much in this moment to be taken by her into a dream - into a dream he had never felt possible. Hermione raised her finger to her mouth to indicate silence and pointed across her body over the street, shaking him from his fantasies. It didn't surprise him in the least that she had employed the same tactics as he had to track the assailant, it seemed the only logical thing to do in these circumstances and anybody who couldn't have figured that out was a dunderhead, period. But to see two sets of footprints, one male and one smaller most likely female set meeting in the middle and heading to the next set of alleys across the street, it was clear they were hot on the trail of his secret and deadly admirer.

He nodded and they moved together crossing the less than busy street, coming into a new maze of the backsides of buildings. The trail was getting harder and harder to follow, with only partial tracks now visible. Hermione feared they would lose both of the perpetrators, never knowing their identities. They walked several meters further but the tracks went cold. All she could see was a cat slinking under a rubbish bin and the still that only came when everybody else was hunkered down waiting for the rain to end. She leaned against a cold stone wall, which she couldn't properly feel anyway due to the reduced temperature of her own body, and exhaled angrily. They had been so close, just a few minutes sooner and perhaps they could have grabbed them.

Severus walked over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder asked, "Are you ok?"

Hermione was surprised to say the least, she wasn't sure if he meant physically injured or psychologically able to handle what had just happened. Perhaps it was the way he said it, as if there was actual concern behind the question and not just something said in polite company. That's why she was even more surprised when he closed the small distance between them and began to kiss her. There was no restraint in his kiss, it was with reckless abandon that he pushed her body tight against the wall lifting her several centimeters from the ground, molding her cold slender body to his warm broad one. Hermione had been kissed many times before, but never like this. His lips were spicy, his mouth warm and he was literally sucking any inhibition she may have had right out of her. Going on instinct alone she wrapped her arms around his neck lacing the fingers of her left hand in his wet thick hair and she began to move her hips slightly at the feeling of his growing erection pushing into her. His hands had traveled from her waist up her body and stopped under her breasts, at this she let out a slight moan….and then heard something she had not been expecting. Movement in the alleyway and the murmur of voices, instantly she felt the warmth of a cloaking charm cover them and her heart sank. It had been a cover to keep them unnoticed by those they were following, not an act of spontaneous lust. She could have shook for anger, as the wind had been taken from her sails her ego left to shatter on the floor. Hermione knew it was dangerous to mix work with pleasure or to even approach the idea of love - but she had not anticipated to pay such a high price. She continued kissing him though, knowing that he had only had enough time to cloak their outward appearance. They needed to maintain the illusion of being just a couple having a snog in a rainy back alleyway.

Having a keen sense of hearing both inborn, then honed through decades of teaching could sometimes be a curse as much as a blessing. Severus could have indeed concealed their entire appearance, leaving nothing but a blank wall to onlookers, as he had heard the voices with plenty of time to spare. But he just couldn't help himself. He hadn't been explicitly looking for an excuse to kiss Miss Granger, they were playing a pair he could have done it at any time and watched her anger accumulate at his misogynistic actions. That would have been fake though. In that moment as he hatched a plan, of which she had no idea, it was as if he had been possessed by the nymph. He wanted, no he needed to kiss her and so he took the opportunity fully expecting to be slapped across the cheek as he deserved. What he had not expected was the willingness and the thinly veiled animal desire that quickly rose to Miss Granger's usually perfectly pruned surface. Her kisses were playful but focused, her grip on his hair pulled it tight on his scalp - and brought him somewhere in between pain and great pleasure. Had the continued shuffling of feet not brought him back to the task at hand, he would have freed himself of his trousers in the alleyway and and made the wild vixen scream for it. But all good things to those who wait and there was a mad wizard and witch on the loose.

As they came closer he could hear more of what they were saying. The woman's voice was slightly distorted, her face obscured by a hood. The man, who was not Marco - to Severus' great displeasure, was whining. It was the student from earlier that morning.

"I promise you madam I did my best I really truly did." The young man shook, his hair wet his robes weighing him down.

"You failed me not once but twice. You were supposed to maim him not lead him on a chase. You're lucky he's not here." It was too difficult to place her voice, it had been magically modified, a clever tactic. Having been in the presence of evil raving lunatics, Severus knew one when he heard one and she was it.

The man shuddered and fell to his knees, "Oh he's not, he's not. I've made sure of that." He pleaded, clearly afraid that something further would happen.

Severus turned his head slightly in order to pickup the sound better, noting that Miss Granger too was listening in on their chance conversation. It was amazing how one's luck could turn so quickly in such matters. Now she needed to say something that would tip them off further, or they were going to have to duel here. Both if they really had some luck.

The woman in a black cloak stroked her slave's face as one might a lovers while she seemed to consider something. Then she bent over so that she was face to face with the shaking man, "Perhaps you can still be of use to me…" It was then that she raised her hand lifting the man in the air and vaulted him in the direction of Severus and Hermione. Severus, releasing his grip on his partner, moved to stop the 70 kg man from hitting them but wasn't fast enough. The man shot toward them knocking Severus off his feet and flat on his back the young man on top of him. Hermione, however, had been able to sidestep the situation and gave chase. Dodging hexes and swerving through obstacles Hermione chased the woman in black through the tiny back streets of Florence. While this evil witch might have had a slight start on Hermione, she was certainly faster than her dark adversary. But this witch knew the streets well and forced Hermione to slip and slide on the cobblestones and marble walkways. Hermione threw a few hexes her way knowing that the minute she turned a corner onto a bigger street she would no longer be able to do it safely. Missing her target over and over again, her only hope became a more physical confrontation.

Hermione pursued her to the river and followed the woman to the Ponte Vecchio. She was lucky that the rain had cleared out the normal crowds that came to view the historic bridge. That wouldn't stop the street vendors from selling their wares there through, or from having those wares thrown in her way. With two flicks of the Dark Witch's wand stalls collapsed spilling their goods across the bridge. Stumbling forward but somehow maintaining her balance Hermione pressed on, so close she could almost smell the nightshade still emanating from the woman. Her assailant ran up a ladder on the side of one of the shops, Hermione seized the opportunity, grabbing her ankle in an attempt to pull her back. But her hands were slippery and the leather of the boots even more so, and with a few shakes Hermione had lost her grip on both the woman and the ladder. Using all the strength and grit she had left her in now overheated body, Hermione pulled herself up the ladder and both slipping and sliding on the ceramic tile tops of the building continued her pursuit. It didn't make any sense she was running toward the water, ' _Oh shit she's going to jump!_ ' Hermione feared. In one final attempt Hermione lurched forward, launching herself as best she could across the roofs of the shops of the Ponte Vecchio grasping the cloak of the witch, but she was too late. Having released the clasp the woman, who Hermione noted was blonde, dove off the over 10 meter high bridge and vanished into thin air.

"A portkey!" Hermione groaned as she rolled on her back grasping the cloak and gasping for air. Of course she didn't apparate right away, it would have been easy to trace her to know where she would go or even go with her. A personalized portkey was the easiest and most secure way to vanish, and vanish she most certainly had. Hermione didn't have too much time to consider all the possibilities of what had just happened between her and her mysterious blonde assailant, nor did she have time to pick apart what had just happened between her and her undercover partner - she needed to apparate off this roof and back to Severus before the police made their way. So it was with a quick look around and a soft pop that she returned herself to the alleyway in Florence where, not more than 15 minutes before Severus Snape had both emboldened her heart and then properly smashed it on the floor.

* * *

Other than having the wind knocked out of him by the impact of the young man with his person, what could have been a few second black out when the back of his head hit the ground and now a sore fist Severus had come out of his tussle with the unwilling young man well. The unknown man's wand had been flung somewhere in the chaos and it hadn't been difficult for Severus to subdue the young man physically. He was after information, all the information he could get out of his victim by persuasion or force.

Straddling the young man and holding him by the collar, his knees digging into the uneven cobblestone Severus began his interrogation, the rain never letting up. "Tell me who you work for." He was nose to nose with the man, his voice so low that only the two of them could hear.

Silence.

"I'll ask you again." Severus said, doing his best to maintain an even tone in his voice. "Who was the woman you were speaking with? Who do you work for?"

The young man simply smirked, "No."

Severus arched his lip in anger and frustration. He didn't have an issue pulling information out of the man, but he knew his time would most likely be limited. She had sacrificed him after all, it would only be a matter of time before she realized he was still alive. Though before he could counter with another offer, the young man spoke again. "You are a traitor and you will come to a most glorious end. Our mistress has described it to us many times." Severus listened, tightening his grip subconsciously on the man's collar. "And your woman….oh she has plans for her too." With this the young man flicked his tongue out of his mouth, "She will give us all great great pleasure…"

Though before he could finish his sentence Severus slammed his fist against the man's face. Just the mention of Hermione was enough to throw him into a rage. Aside from the fact that he hated acolytes, this feud was between him and this so called "Mistress" and had nothing to do with….with Hermione.

"Who do you work for?" Severus yelled. No response so he hit him again.

"Tell me you disgusting sack of troll shit!" Then Severus hit him again, knocking a tooth out of the man's mouth. The crazy young man erupted in laughter, spraying blood across Severus' face.

"I won't tell you. She'll kill me if I do." Blood spat toward Severus with every word the man said.

"I will kill you if you don't." Severus countered. With only a laugh in response Severus knew there would not be too much more to get out of him. And thus he continued to punch the young man in the face. All his anger and all his rage at the situation before them, the threats to his life….and even more strongly the threats to hers - made him want to turn this idiot into a pulp.

Severus was so focused on hammering his head into the ground, he didn't even hear the voice calling his name from behind him. It took a gentle touch to his shoulder to turn his head and there he saw her, still soaking wet but now with rosy cheeks and red lips holding a cloak in one hand. His eyes quickly appraised Hermione to see if she was hurt, satisfied she was in good condition he turned his head back to his prisoner.

"Severus stop it! Just stop it we might be able to get some information from him." Hermione insisted doing whatever she could to physically stop him with her free hand.

"Oh he has nothing more to say." Severus said lowering his fist.

"Well perhaps if you hadn't bloodied him as you have…" but she allowed herself to trail off. The set of his jaw and the look in his eyes made it clear that this was non-negotiable, though Hermione knew he had a point. If they had learned anything that afternoon it was that there was a clear trickle down structure from master to slaves, being cast in the role of slave meant you only knew your part.

"She escaped?" Severus didn't need to ask the question, it was more to confirm what he had already implied from the ownerless cloak in Hermione's hand.

"Yeah." From her tone it was clear she was displeased by the outcome. "Personalized portkey, she jumped off the bridge, she was gone in an instant."

Severus exhaled, it was a clear blow to their investigation but an unavoidable one. Though as he turned his head he saw something that made him leap of the man and push Hermione back with force. The young man had begun to foam at the mouth, shortly thereafter he began thrashing violently. Ripping at his eyes and mouth and screaming violently the young rolled around in extreme pain, bleeding even more than he had before. He writhed on the floor uncontrollably but it was his flesh melting away from his bones that made Hermione turned her gaze from the young man. She knew already what it was, it was an occult practice. HIs mistress had returned to her lair and, using a doll similar to those found in Voodoo magic, had set him to self destruct. It was a horribly painful death and left them with no witness from which to beat information out of.

Her head was filled with the 'whats', 'whos', 'hows' and 'what to do next scenarios' as Severus took her by the shoulder. They needed to leave from the scene before a Muggle happened across them. She neglected to look him in the eye, too upset with the outcome of their chase and too ashamed of the opening of her own heart so quickly and so recklessly, that she had forgotten the true victory of that day. She had contained a major explosion and saved countless lives, no small feat for any witch or wizard, evil or otherwise.


	7. Sneaking Out After Hours

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

 **Note:** I had some time to write on stories over my holidays, so hopefully new chapters to different things will be coming out soon. Looking forward to your comments ;-)

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Consequences of Sneaking Out After Hours**

As Severus and Hermione entered their heavily warded and triple charm defended room, she kicked off her shoes and let out a sigh. The marble floor felt cool and refreshing on her tired dirty feet, it was about the only thing she really felt she deserved. The events of the day had been riveting but fruitless - and that made it a failure. The only little bit of information they could pull out of the entire life threatening encounter was that it was indeed a woman they were looking for. So they were no further than when they had started. On top of that, she couldn't even look her former teacher in the eye. The events of the day, the cover she had mistaken for a wild, spontaneous kiss had left her feeling empty inside. After all these years she had hoped so much to have a sign from him that he cared as much for her as she did for him. Of course it had been silly, but as a student at the FBI Hermione had held onto the hope that he would track her down, or write her a letter, perhaps even thank her for saving his life that night so long ago. Instead her hopes had been dashed both then and now. She shook her head as she made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her, it had been stupid to think that he was as deep emotionally in this as she was. It was foolish and above all it was embarrassing.

Crossing his legs on the sofa in the sitting room and dabbing his quill in some ink, Severus watched his preoccupied partner mumble her way through the sitting room and then into the bathroom. She had a bee in her bonnet and he couldn't quite figure out why. The day had been exhilarating, perhaps the most exhilarating he had had in years. He also couldn't have been more proud of her, though he was fairly sure his opinion on the subject wouldn't matter much to her. Hermione had saved all the people in the room, as well as his reputation, from exploding right in front of his face. They had also tracked down the dark witch, had her on the run and certainly pushed her to her plan B. All of which was more than he could have hoped for. Now they just had to sit back and wait for their dark mystery woman to make a mistake. This put a smirk on his face, he enjoyed nothing more than backing his prey into a corner and giving them only the option to fight and make a mistake.

Though he had to say, Miss Granger was turning out to be a much better spy that what he had thought. True, she did have the tendency to let her emotions get the better of her, but it also made her believable. His mind turned back to their encounter in the alleyway, to the rain falling down and her extremely believable reaction to his advances. She had not hesitated, not flinched it was with a great adeptness that she had fanned the flames of his lust in the alley. It had made him believe just for that moment that she could love an old, bitter man like him. That she could touch him without gagging, handle him like a man and not like an unwanted creature to be thrown out with the wash. It made him think for one blastphamous second that she might have the ability to like him as much as he had grown to like her since the start of their clandestine mission. Well, if he were truly being honest with himself his fascination with the girl, now woman, had started much earlier than that...much earlier.

He sighed and continued his notes. There would be no point to discuss further with her the events of the day, best to leave it for tomorrow. The click of the bedside lamp and the extra bit of darkness it made surprised him slightly with its abruptness.

Miss Granger was always one to be polite no matter what the circumstances, " _Hopefully it's nothing I did."_ He thought to himself. " _No matter, it's best she not escort me to my little meeting this evening anyway."_

Severus quietly slipped into the dark bedroom to retrieve his cloak. The light of the full moon streaming in through the windows gave him enough light with which to find the personal effects he would need. He threw only a quick glance on the sleeping young woman that was playing his wife to be. Her mouth was slightly open her chest rising and falling gently with every breath. She had indeed grown into something of beauty and had awakened something in him that he would have to soon deal with. He breathed in deeply to revel in the scent of her shampoo before turning and escaping quietly out the door, not noticing the a pair of dark yellow devilish eyes watching his movements from the street below.

* * *

Hermione could not be sure what had stirred her from her slumber, only that this sound, as distant as it may have been, jolted her straight up in her bed. She didn't have to feel next to her to know that Severus wasn't in the room with her, much less sleeping by her side. The room was dark, the scent of him was missing and there was no warmth in the bed. It made her absolutely furious.

"How dare he sneak out on his own after all the stupid idiotic things that have…..arrrggghhh!" she shouted as she threw open the cupboard and pulled out the first thing she saw. It was a red dress with long sleeves, a bit too elegant for stomping out in the night after her runaway ward, but it would do. She grabbed her cloak still seething, gripped her wand to the point of almost splitting it and ran out the door. He couldn't be too far, she had only been asleep about a half hour.

Call it a good hunch or feminine intuition, but it did not take Hermione very long to find her target. Somehow she knew deep down that Severus Snape would keep to the shadows, that he would do his best to remain unseen by wizard and muggle alike. It did dawn on her though that it was better to follow him at first, see what he was up to instead of disturb him in the middle of it. " _Could he be on the edge of blowing the case wide open and not involving me?"_ she wondered to herself. " _After being jumped by a Shadow Creature, almost being blown up and having various threats to your life, one would think he would have the good sense to keep an eye out."_

It was only after he started twisting and turning down some more unseemly roads, more back alleyways and seedy parts of Florence that Hermione began to get more nervous. " _Oh Merlin, is he going to a whore house? Is this why he didn't bring me, so that he could spare me the anguish of having to sit there and listen to him doing his business with another woman?"_ she thought to herself. Hermione hated that pang of jealousy she felt at the thought of this scenario. Breathing in deeply she resigned herself to do her job as she had given her oath and to again do her best to keep her own feelings out of the whole thing.

Keeping her eyes trained on Severus, she waited around a corner, watching him check the numbers on some particularly shabby buildings. Once he made his choice she would strike.

* * *

If there was one thing not charming about Florence in Severus' mind, it was the extremely infuriating lack of house numbers. He was looking for 32a and straining his eyes more than they needed to be strained at this hour of the night in an attempt to find it. It was only after blinking, cursing and then almost throwing his hands up in defeat that he noticed a small red lantern perched above the numbers 32a. He grinned. He needed this, needed it badly and would look forward to a bit of company different from the one he kept with Miss Granger. He knocked three times on the door as instructed, fixed his robes up and waited. It was just as he heard the door latches being undone that he felt an arm latch on to his own. No one was more shocked than he to see the triumphant face of Miss Granger standing next to him, well perhaps the man standing behind the door. It was a club for gentlemen after all, her attendance would be frowned upon at best.

"You are not allowed to bring guests." Said the tall man behind the door and an extremely posh London accent.

Before Severus could even open his mouth to say something nasty in response, he saw the man's eyes flicker to Hermione a second time. Bowing slightly the tall bouncer continued, "I didn't realize it was the Lady in Red, sir. Please enter." The eye of the tall bouncer glanced up and caught Severus', who made sure to sneer at his poshly dressed counterpart before gently pulling Hermione through the door and into the garderobe.

"What was that?" Hermione whispered. "And where are we?" Try as she might it was exceedingly difficult to cover up her anger with curiosity, though she was indeed curious as to why a whore house in Florence would have an Englishman at the door.

They were alone in a maze of hung up cloaks and coats, in a very nice turn of the century English style Gentlemen's club. Something that Mycroft Holmes might have visited if he had ever truly existed. The darkness of the room did not do enough to cover the look of exasperation and what could have been fear on her old professor's face. The door had clearly been a well placed portal, but to what she could not be sure. Hermione was not often confused about things, but this was not what she had been expecting at all.

Severus took her by the shoulders and looked her desperately in the eye. "Whatever happens tonight…" he stopped for a moment and gathered his thoughts before starting again, "Just whatever you do don't talk too much while you are in there."

Not sure whether she should agree or not to this cryptic request, Hermione took a moment to remove her coat and gently apply some charms to her hair and shoes. The dress seemed to fit the occasion more than she had realized, but she didn't need to look like she had just woken up and run through half of Florence after her fiance -ex-professor -spy -husband-something trying to make sure he wasn't killed. Once finished she nodded, doing her best to hiding her complete lack of understanding as to where they were and what they were doing. Oddly satisfied with this empty gesture, Severus Snape gently took her by the arm and lead her through the giant double doors into the "Secret Chamber". That was literally what was written on it, and Hermione wasn't sure what to make of it all.

As if awaiting their arrival, the large double wooden doors pulled open and Hermione entered a smokey room filled with men sipping their evening cocktails and carrying on. There couldn't have been more than 50 people in the room, though the cigar smoke hung thick enough in the air that it was hard to take a proper headcount. Some small tables holding no more than four people each were scattered about the tiny dark wood framed room, while a small lounge band played in the background. The wizards there were dressed all sorts of ways. Not in the typical robes one might find at a more formal gathering or even a gathering of Potions Masters. These gentlemen were eccentric to say the least, flamboyant to put it more accurately. Of all the things that Hermione was thinking, the thought that jumped out at her the most was that this was the oddest place she could picture herself in with Severus Snape. What more was that he was greeted with slight head nods and smiles as they weaved their way through the tightly packed crowd of mismatched wizards. To her surprise, Severus smiled back. Thinking back she could not remember ever seeing a smile on his face. Smirks, sneers and smiles laden with schadenfreude had been the norm as she had gone through school. Now he was shaking hands, grinning and embracing his fellow comrades and it was so unusual she didn't even know where to begin or what to think. If there was anything more odd it was the fact that his monochrome appearance and traditional style, which usually made him fit in most places, made him stick out here. Moreso that he had a lady in toe. Her curiosity was killing her, her anger at him slowly melting away. Should this be a whore house, it would be the oddest one she had ever heard of.

Despite the fact that she was the only woman in the room, Hermione didn't feel looked at or overly scrutinized. No, these men were there to reunite after some long absence, ready to do whatever it was they did in that room and whoever was there, was meant to be and nothing more. A butler handed her a glass of whisky and before she knew it, they were being approached by two odd gentlemen, large smiles beamed across their faces. To put it in perspective they were not at all out of place in the current company they kept, but out on the street they would have stood out against even the most eccentric wizards or muggles. One was a tall blond wizard wearing the most extraordinarily flamboyant purple and turquoise robes she had ever seen. His pointed hat looked like something out of a muggle fairy tale and he looked absolutely focused on coming up and meeting them. His shorter and more rotund counterpart was, in great contrast to him, dressed in a tweed 3-piece muggle suit out of the 1930's, with a long moustache almost covering his mouth and a balding head. Both crossed the short distance of the room with great haste to approach her and Severus.

"Oh dear Merlin Severus," the taller one said, eyeing up Hermione and then turning to her dark escort, "you have been threatening for years to bring her and now." He paused for what was clearly dramatic effect, "I mean I was always sure she existed, but ….she is truly a vision." The man had her by the shoulders and was eyeing every detail of her face, hair and dress. Hermione was eyeing him too, doing her best to discern what exactly he was doing and why he felt the need to observe with such precision. He was talking almost as if she could not hear him, or as if it did not matter if she did.

"You must forgive my friend, Miss Lady in Red." The fat man piped up whilst extending his hand, "He always has been fascinated by the story of you and Severus." He smiled and shook her hand. "One might even characterize it has a slight obsession." One could tell the fat man was ribbing his friend a bit, hence the scowl on the more flamboyant wizard's face.

At this point Hermione was bursting for an explanation.

"Nils Sherman, at your service my lady." The fat man kissed her hand and smiled. "This flamboyant queen with no sense of personal space is my friend Octavian. Just Octavian…"

"Like Madonna." Octavian jumped in whilst observing the details of her dress, as if drinking in her measurements for a later time. He then turned his eye to Severus, "I always knew you'd go to such lengths to win, but this….no one ever expected this."

"Nor did I." murmured Severus to his friends, while managing an uneasy glance toward Hermione.

"We are rather good and old friends of your gentleman friend here." Nils said to Hermione cutting in, a broad smile on his face.

"Gentlemen, I hate to cut our reunion so short, but you know I have a few things to attend to. Could I ask that you keep my lady comfortable and amused?" There was a slight sense of amusement that crossed Severus' face as he bowed slightly, kissed her hand and melted into the crowd.

In the short silence that ensued Hermione seized her opportunity, "Sirs, could you please explain to me what exactly is going on here?" She flashed her most ravishing smile with the hopes of getting a very quick answer to the question that had been on the tip of her tongue for the last half an hour.

The two men smiled and looked at one another, "Oh she doesn't know does she?" Octavian murmured, but loud enough for Hermione to hear. They were talking as if she were not there, but not caring if she overheard them.

"No she doesn't." confirmed Nils.

"He's such a scoundrel isn't he?" Octavian continued, clearly referring to Severus.

Nils giggled, "Indeed he is."

Octavian motioned she come with him and they began to walk to a table, "You see, we are a…..well...a…."

"Club." Nils filled in.

"Yes a club." Octavian continued, "A club that enjoys the wit and jest that can be found in the spoken word."

Hermione still had a look of confusion on her face, spurring the men to continue their odd description of what they were doing.

"We are a collection of wizards from all walks of life," Nils continued, "who enjoy the fun of ….oh how to the Muggles call it? After dinner speaking? We take serious topics and talk about them in an amusing yet powerful way."

"After dinner speaking?" Hermione repeated, almost spitting out her whisky.

Both men nodded vigorously as they sat down at a table just in time to have their own dinner served.

"Severus, making jokes?" Hermione couldn't even form the words properly in her mind, she was shocked into three word sentences.

Picking up again as they had before,"Oh she's never heard him." Octavian snickered to his friend.

"No she hasn't." Nils agreed.

"She has no idea why she's here." Octavian smiled almost bursting with excitement.

"Not at all." Nils continued.

"You see," Octavian started, now addressing Hermione directly, "Severus is among the top elders of our little society. This year, he has been rather successful. So successful that tonight he competes head to head with another rather popular speaker. Whoever is the funniest, wins."

Hermione almost couldn't contain the sense of absurdity that was rising in her. "What exactly does he win, and who decides?" she asked between eating her beef and smiling as if she didn't believe a word they were telling her.

The two men looked at one another for a moment as if to make sure they were both thinking the same thing before they said it. "Prestige." They said in unison.

"Oh and we all do." Octavian said. "We all decide as a group, it's only fair."

"And what exactly does all of this have to do with me?" Hermione inquired.

"You are the lady in red." Nils began, staring off dramatically to his side, his hand on his chest.

"His greatest debt and his greatest pain." Octavian chimed in, standing next to his friend and mimicking his own gestures.

"His desire and his sorrow." Nils continued.

Reaching out to touch her wrist Octavian continued, "You are the thread that binds his stories and his life...and he never even told you." His smile was sweet, "Let's not spoil it for you then."

The two men looked at one another and something passed between them.

Something about the way they were looking at her, the sincerity with which they said the words, the feeling that they conveyed made Hermione look up at the main table situated on the stage at the front of the room. It was a sort of deja vu from Hogwarts, sitting with the masses of students and spying her professor at the teacher's table. This was, different though. He was talking, chatting, laughing, drinking he was so far removed from the man she had known years ago, even the man she had come to know more recently, and yet it was difficult to picture him as anything other than dark and devoid of any humanizing qualities.

She turned her attention back to the table, back to the men who would be her companions for the evening. This was going to be an interesting and rather odd experience to say the least.

* * *

Severus fidgeted slightly under the table as the dessert was served. His opponent would go on soon to give his speech, this gave him a bit of time. Whether that was good or bad was another matter altogether, but for now it gave him the time to sort his thoughts. Severus glanced at Hermione, who seemed to be enjoying the company of Octavian and Nils. ' _She really shouldn't be here.'_ he thought to himself. She was clearly as confused as he had been the first time he had entered this place years before.

He shook his head lightly. The thought of his recovery from Nagini's bite and the lengths he had crossed to be there today seemed like something of legend, not something one could actually live. Once he had been able to speak again Severus had decided to embark on something new and different. In the past so much of his efforts had gone into spying, deceiving, killing and not being killed that he had a void that should be filled with something amusing. It was then that he had decided to try his hand at humor. It ticked all the right boxes, serving as a catharsis for his pent up frustrations and anger. He had been such an observer of people in his previous life that he found, once he turned that power toward himself, that he really had some very hilarious situations that had cropped up over the years. Not to mention his relationship, more accurately his love hate relationship with the young woman who saved his life.

Talking about it outloud, working through his feelings and sharing his views and confusions through humor had given Severus so much. It had helped him weather the storm of emotions that would have drowned most normal men. He could not have gone through his mental and physical recovery without the jolly men in this room, all willing to give a piece of themselves to the group and to their joy of humor. It was through this medium that Severus accepted who he was, found value in his feelings and experiences….it was through this that he had realized that he cared for Hermione for more than he had dared admit to himself. The know-it-all he had despised for pulling him back from the brink of death, had somehow seen him fit to live again. With time he had developed a zest for life, and it had been because of her, and because of his fellow orators that he was here in this place tonight, and now he was not sure if he could give his final emotional talk in front of the woman he had been discussing with them for many many years. The last few days with her had been emotional overload for somebody with an emotional deficit as he had. Now to give this speech would be to admit everything to her, his fears, his triumphs ...his desires. It exhilarated him as much as it scared him, now he needed to show a kind of courage he had never been able to muster. In all of his work for the Order, the Dark Lord and for Hogwarts Severus never felt fear. Faced with laying his soul bare in front of a woman, no, the woman who had captivated him all these years was without a doubt the most terrifying thing he had ever had to do.

* * *

Hermione's ribs were hurting from laughter, she could honestly not remember the last time she had laughed so hard about politics. The wizard, who was Severus' competition, had just finished a hilarious and at times bawdy speech about the ministry of magic and how absurd laws can lead to grim realities. Given his humor she could see why it was a "Gentleman's" club, as wizarding folk were, on the whole, more conservative than Muggles. She certainly could not imagine her old potion's professor getting up in front of the group and making sex related jokes. No it really wasn't his style. So she sat there with anticipation as the clapping died down and her darkly dressed partner took the stage.

After much soul searching during his opponent's less than rousing speech, Severus decided to play his entrance clumsily. It would not only be a smooth continuation of the persona he normally played, the depressive and absent minded professor type, but it would also help him get over his nervousness. Having her there AND dressed in red was not helping him at all. Shuffling his papers from side to side and having one or two fall off the podium elicited a few slight chuckles from the crowd and slowly moved him toward his opening.

"My dearest friends," he began before turning his head in an almost meek way toward Hermione, "Lady in Red," he quickly moved his eye contact away from her again, "It is a pleasure to have you here tonight." Those in the crowd who had perhaps not known she was there, had now turned from their seats to eye her, there was an obvious excitement that permeated the crowd.

"Now where did I leave us off last time?" Severus was so convincing with his look of puzzlement and his shuffling of notes that many in the crowd also began thinking back as to what it had been. "Oh that's right I had received a letter. A letter from a…..woman." The clear gestures of his head indicated to the crowd that she had indeed penned the letter.

Then he began to recount the events of their own personal reunion, the letters back and forth, his fears and concerns about meeting her and his perceived joys … and it was so funny. This kind of self deprecating humor mixed with his wit and flare for dark humor had her almost in tears. The way he used his voice to build up situations, break them down and then give his own commentary was just a stroke of oratorical genius. Particularly when he got to the moment when she caught him holding her leather panties in the room, she and the entire room almost fell of their chairs. It made her wish she would have seen it that way from the start.

To see Hermione laughing so hard at his expense and to see her appreciating the tone behind it all had given Severus relief and also a sense of power. Stopping everybody mid-laugh he looked straight at Hermione and began, "At what point will you women ever realize, lace or leather, just plain naked will do?"

Hermione grinned and nodded her head in understanding. As he continued his speech and began to tie it into his main point, assigning value to your life through the eyes of a depressive, she couldn't help but feel moved. All this time, even before they had met as adults, he had indeed been thinking about her. His fears, concerns, phobias were also in some odd way her own. She had so wished he would have told her about his feelings sooner, so they could have avoided all this dancing around and jockeying for position these last days.

She was roused from her thoughts by movement in the room, it was everybody raising their glass. They were raising their glass to her. Hermione's eyes caught Severus', with a sufficient silence in the room he began.

"To the lady in red." All those present in the room repeated after him. "My greatest debt and my greatest pain. My desire and my sorrow."

At this point she could see him take stock of what he was going to say next, then slowly, "You saw it fit to give my life value and thus pull me back from the abyss. You gave my life value in a time when I could not. I had done so much evil in the world that you could have left me there and no one would have mourned me." He faltered at this point, fighting the slight twinge of emotion in his voice as he continued, "Know I will make the best of what you have given me. Know that you have my loyalty and my respect."

He turned his gaze to the room, "If I can impart on thing on you tonight chaps, it's this. It can be interesting or even humorous to view your life from the outside and to make observations as I have been doing these last months for you. But I've been doing it wrong. It's easy to be alone and to justify your own isolation - it's much more difficult to accept that you might need somebody. This task I have been asked to do in Florence would be unachievable without this lady here. As much as I hate to admit it. The only reason she is here tonight is…." He turned back toward Hermione, "Why exactly are you here tonight?"

It was indeed a serious question. Hermione didn't miss a beat, "You snuck out of the room. I was convinced you were whoring." At this the room, and particularly Severus, burst into laughter. The thought was to all so preposterous at this point that it brought the flush of embarrassment to her cheeks that Severus had been waiting for.

"Drink up." Severus said and the toast was then complete.

It was clear from the crowd reaction who was favored, but the little club of odd wizards still took care to vote by a show of hands, the moderator counting them off. It wasn't surprising that Severus won and by a healthy margin. Hermione couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for her dark escort that evening, moreover she couldn't help but feel nervous about how it would be between them once they were alone again. She could no longer look at him the same as she had before, knowing that he had the same feelings and misgivings about her as she had had of him.

A considerable amount of time passed, while they said their goodbyes and shook the right amount of hands, until they were finally alone in the large cloakroom. Not knowing quite what to say or what to do, Hermione grabbed Severus' hand, lacing her slender dainty fingers with his long stronger ones.

"You could have said…" she started before he gently cut in.

"As you could have." It was not laying blame simply a lament for lost time and unrequited fantasies.

She looked him in the eyes and nodded, knowing that they had a chance to make up for lost time. Knowing that the spark she felt for him was not that much different than the spark he felt for her.

Cloaks neatly thrown around their shoulders the pair walked out into the crisp early morning air of Florence. The moon was so bright that they did not need the street lights to guide them, it was almost as if day had set upon them several hours too soon. They walked in silence, the warmth of each other's hands and the excitement the touch gave, giving them both a spring in their step, a hope of what was to come.

Not knowing why, Hermione stopped the pair at a particularly beautiful street corner. Some small public gardens to their left, stately houses to their right. It was just so picturesque that she couldn't help but stop a moment and admire the beautiful scenery and to satisfy her desire to kiss him...properly this time.

His dark features, highlighted by the whiteness of the moonlight gave him a handsome and foreboding look. As if you could not touch him without accepting the danger that came along with it. She studied him briefly before she leaned in.

It was then that something strange caught her eye. She would not have seen it had it not been for the light of the moon and the emptiness of the square. It was a glint, the moon reflecting off of something yellow, something not human….something…..

It was with carefully trained precision that Hermione swept Severus to the ground mid kiss, his lips puckered for a touch that would not come. She turned just in time to see the werewolf, but not in time to deflect it. The pain of its claws slashing through her dress to her skin, the momentum with which it hit sent her flying.

As she lay on her back, wand in hand, the werewolf sniffed her over. Satisfied she was not its target it turned toward Severus. Too stunned to feel pain and too determined to let it get the better of her, Hermione sent several curses toward the werewolf, so that it would refocus its attention on her. It howled in pain as she landed a good few before turning and and snarling in her direction.

In the few seconds it took Severus to grab his wand, jump to his feet and asses the situation, the beast had already set its sights on Hermione. He could see a pool of black growing around her on the street where she lay wounded, fiery as ever. Blood always looked black in the moonlight, it didn't take long as a Death Eater to learn that. He needed to do something, and quickly.

Pointing his wand at the cobblestone street, he lifted 10 good sized stone from the street and with one huge heave threw them toward the werewolf. A few made impact while the final ones were swatted around by the massive hands of the beast. It turned toward Severus catching his scent and ran toward him on all fours. Severus grinned, Werewolves were very destructive but not particularly intelligent.

Standing his ground Severus waited until the beast would lunge at him and then threw a fire curse toward the beast, sending it running past him howling. The smell of burnt werewolf flesh only stood to underscore the stench of death these creatures brought with them wherever they went. Taking a quick look back at Hermione who had not managed to rise due to her injuries. She was breathing, alert but clutching her chest. It wasn't a good situation.

He put himself between the werewolf and Hermione, doing his best to protect her from further harm, but also blocking her line of vision. Hermione cursed under her breath both from the searing pain she felt and because he had blocked her clear shot of the beast. He had to wear it down, so that it would stop moving long enough for bind or kill it. She had never seen Severus in battle, she was unaware of how graceful he was. His shoulders high, his back straight, his complete concentration focused on the defeat of his enemy. It was such a beautiful way to see him, and very possibly the last thing she would see if they didn't get this under control soon. She could feel her body weakening, the blood leaving her, the darkness coming.

Shaking her head in a vain attempt to stay awake she could see that the beast was upon Severus. Pinning him to the ground and sniffing him, looking for the best way to devour him. Mustering whatever power she could and laying her head on the ground so as to better steady her hand, she called on all the power she had left to release one final curse. Despite her trembling she hit the mark, the werewolf went flying off of Severus. This gave him the right opening to act. While it was still in the air, he bound it using one of the more powerful binding charms he could use. Stunned and completely wrapped with invisible rope, the beast began to hiss and struggle wildily, but to no avail.

Levitating the beast and bringing it over to him Severus looked it coldly in the eye. "If she does not come out of this alive, your mistress will pay dearly."

Moving his hands, the werewolf turned upside down, So that their faces were more or less eye level. Severus took several vials from his cloak and finally a silver knife. It was without ceremony and without remorse that he slit the throat of the beast, making sure its blood filled his vials to the top. If he was going to have any chance of both reviving Hermione and keeping her from turning into a werewolf herself, this blood would make the difference.

Filling the final vial he moved toward Hermione, his fallen protector. He knelt down and pulled her toward him. Her eyes were half open, her mouth mumbling something, her blood everywhere. Motioning the floating and dying werewolf to come to him, he placed a hand on it. Looking down at her one last time he knew he only had one chance to get this right. It was with a determined sigh and a very large pop, that the trio left the streets of Florence, set for the high end hotel suit he would now turn into his own personal laboratory.


	8. On the Trail of the Panther

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

 **Note:** It's been a long long time since I updated this story and I'm so glad to be doing it again. I know how it will go, it's just finding the time to get there. It's been a crazy few months, but I hope to get the chance to update all of my stories more often in the very near future.

I'll need to reread this chapter again for correctness, but wanted to get it up so the story could continue. Reviews are welcome!

* * *

 **Chapter 8: On the Trail of the Panther**

Upon entering the lavish hotel room he shared with Hermione, Severus Snape took care of business in the only way he knew how, swiftly and methodically. A gentle flick of his wrist and the entire room was covered to prevent any further mess. With the lift of an eyebrow his mobile lab opened itself and began heating cauldrons to three different temperatures. A sharp whistle summoned his house elves to drag the dying werewolf into the bathroom for later inspection. He then turned his attention to his companion.

Had you not seen the blood that covered her body, one could have mistaken her for sleeping. Her eyes were almost completely closed, her features at peace, her breathing slow, he could have none of this.

"Don't fall asleep on me now." Severus said shaking Hermione violently from her temporary peacefulness. If she fell asleep, his potion would be less effective, if she fell asleep now there would be a greater chance she could turn.

Despite her complete shock and lack of blood, Hermione jolted awake screaming and flailing her arms in surprise.

Severus brought her to their bed and sat on it, placing her on his knee. He took her by the chin and looked into her eyes. "Look at me." He said calmly, "You've been attacked by a Werewolf, do you remember?"

Hermione nodded.

He continued, "I need to see if you were bitten." Severus' stomach churned, knowing what he would have to do to her tonight. Knowing how much pain she would have to endure, regardless of whether she had been bitten or not. "I'm going to have to…"

Hermione stopped him, gently placing a hand on his chest with what little strength her ravaged body still contained. Leaning in she whispered, "I know what you have to do Severus." Her eyes were so calm despite the urgency of the situation, despite the fact that her body was failing, clinging only to what it could to survive. "Please hurry."

Severus nodded, standing her up in front of him and pulling a silver knife from the folds of his robes. ' _She's so strong.'_ he remarked as he slit her torn red dress open in the front, revealing her lacy panties and her bare breasts.

Over the years, Severus had contemplated many different ways he might have come to this point with her. Sitting on a bed or a chair, relieving her of the burden of her clothing, touching her soft skin. He had imagined how she might look without her clothing, how she might feel when he touched her, how she would taste on his lips. He had envisioned every possible way this could happen, except this one. He sighed, wishing things could have been different.

His first task was to check her bites and other werewolf inflicted wounds. Gently turning her so her back was to him he began to gently run his fingers through her hair, down her neck and over her back. Her skin was stained red with her own blood, so he could not trust his eyes, he would have to go on feel. Severus worked quickly, rolling his long fingers over her bum, through to her inner thighs and down toward her feet. Satisfied that she was fine he turned her to face him.

The look on her face was one that cut through his heart. Tears were welling up in her eyes and her lip quivered slightly. The dilation of her pupils indicated fear and shock, she was playing out the possible outcomes of her injuries in her head. Knowing that many of them lead to partial or full werewolfism. Alot depended on the kind of werewolf and how powerful they were whether you were infected from a bite or a scratch. Bites were almost always infectious, scratches were 50/50. There were many variables that Severus could not focus on now, he needed to make sure he had a handle on the situation.

Sitting on the bed his eyes were at her breast level. Even now he couldn't stop himself from remarking on how beautiful she was. Severus ran his fingers down her jaws, over her neck and stopped at the three gashes on her chest left by the beast. They started at the left shoulder and ended at her right hip. He ran one of his fingers along the cuts, judging their length, then gently stuck a finger deeper inside. Hermione flinched at this but did her best to cover her pain. Her training kicking in, she would need to be still. Satisfied that they were not as deep as he had previously thought, and content that there were not more injuries on her body Severus pulled the vials of werewolf's blood from his robes.

"You are going to make it." He said to her, his dark eyes piercing her golden ones. "I promise." She smiled at him then, it was a smile that melted his old worn heart of stone.

He sat her down on the bed and got to work in his laboratory. He would need to mix this blood with some herbs and other ingredients to make an antiviral for Hermione. Severus was never nervous when he did these kinds of things, but found himself sweating all the same. The stakes were high. One wrong measurement, one wrong dosage and the potions would be useless and she would be left to her fate.

"Don't fall asleep." he said without turning around.

"I'm not." Came a weak voice from behind him.

He would need to work faster, she didn't have much longer. Severus moved his hands quickly, adding water here, a drop of blood there, counting the turns of his ladle with the sort of mechanical perfection he wished he could impart on his students. Then, he took a breath and cut the flames.

Turning to his savior he reached for his silver knife again, knowing that the hardest part was yet to come. "I think it best I restrain you. If not you might injure…"

She shook her head, cutting him off from the rest of his thought. Moving his wand in a circular fashion restraints grew from the bedframe and gently wrapped around her wrists and ankles, pulling her into a spread eagle position. He shook his head thinking of all the times he had performed this spell under different circumstances. Thinking about how his heart had fluttered at the sight of her leather underwear, wondering if she liked to be dominated or dominant. He could do either given the right circumstances and yet, he had all the wrong circumstances today. ' _One day we will explore each other properly.'_ his promise to her made in his own mind as he neared her bare chest.

Taking out his handkerchief from his pocket he placed it in her mouth, so she wouldn't bite off her own tongue. He let his index finger linger on her face a moment, "I'm sorry." He breathed.

With that he ran the silver knife down the first of her three gashes, sending her muffled screams through the room. He had to cut the possible infection out, which meant cutting the wounds bigger and deeper, cutting the source away from her as much as he could. Most men would pass out after a few seconds, but not the woman he had grown so fond of. Not Hermione. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her muscles tensed as she tried to control her body from flailing violently against his cuts. Severus' silver blade was sharp and precise, he would take only as much of her flesh as he needed to.

He could not look at her face, did not want to see how the pain was etched across her features. Her screams painted a clear enough picture for him. With the first wound cleared he motioned the finished vials of antivirus come his way. Opening the cleaned wound with this thumb and forefinger, he poured a few drops of each potion into the wound, sending her screaming to the top of her lungs even with the handkerchief still secured in her mouth. Pushing a small amount of witch hazel into the wound and using his wand he sealed it, with the perfection of a medial wizard.

"Only two left." He said matter of factly, wiping the sweat from her brow. "You are doing well, you need to be awake only a little while longer."

As a graduate student he had witnessed a few such rituals as he was performing now, and was amazed at how Hermione tolerated the pain. Even in her most dire moment she sought to over achieve. Fixing these wounds was one of the most tricky things a wizard could do. It took time, patience and no magical interference. Had he given her pain potions or put her to sleep, the chances of the body rejecting the werewolf were much lower. She needed to fight it, and being awake meant her mind, body and soul were fighting for normalcy. In the back of his mind Severus knew that it was no coincidence that the sorceress had sent a Werewolf after them. There were only a few Potions Masters who could perform such acts, and he was one of them. He would kill her for what she did today, he would make sure she had no chance to escape, no chance to come back into this world.

As a finished a smile crept across his face. The ritual had gone as well as he could have hoped. There was not much he could do about the scarring, but that was the least of their worries at the moment. Severus removed the cloth from Hermione's mouth.

"Severus, I just wanted to..." she began.

"Sleep." Severus said, using his legitmens abilities to make her instantly obey.

He would keep her tied up on the chance that she turned before morning. He had done all he could, now it was up to luck. He vanished the last of the blood from her body and covered her with a blanket.

' _Now to the werewolf.'_ Severus told himself as he removed his robes and rolled up the sleeves of his dirty white shirt. The beast was in the bathroom, strewn in the bathtub just as he had asked the house elves to do. But he had changed back into his human form after death, a good sign. Crouching down to the tub level he inspected the body.

It was a young man, similar in appearance to the one they had chased before. "Freshly bitten." Severus remarked to himself, seeing the bite marks on the man's arm. Lower on the forearm he noticed a small tattoo on the underside of the man's wrist. ' _A panther face.'_

Severus tried to think back on the young man from earlier in the day, but didn't know he had had a similar tattoo or not. He hadn't looked, hadn't expected that this dark witch had a following to this extent. ' _Bitten to honor your mistress.'_ He shook his head in disgust. He hated the way young people were manipulated into giving their lives away for a cause that didn't matter. He knew what it was like to be young and vulnerable, to tattoo yourself to show allegiance and then to regret it later. ' _This could have been me."_ he mused to himself before moving to the young man's pockets.

"Mmmmm." Was the only reaction to escape Severus' lips as he pulled out a letter from the man's pocket. Turning it over in his hand, he saw the raven's seal, Morgana's seal. He furrowed his brow, this was not going in a very positive direction. Inside the letter were two recent photographs of both him and Hermione, taken just a day or two ago. The letter, ordering him to injure Severus and bring him back to her written in the distinctive script of a woman he knew very very well.

"Do you really despise me so much after all these years?" Severus wondered aloud. "You were always so ambitious, always knew what you wanted but this?" Her occult leanings would be inline with what had happened over the last several days. Building a following of young men loyal to her through promise of promotion, favor or sex - then using them in any way possible. He didn't want to believe it but he couldn't turn a blind eye anymore. "But what of the Panther?" he wondered. Was it a new reincarnation of herself? Her partner? Her assistant?

Severus stroked his chin in contemplation as the grandfather clock struck 3am. He would need to confront her and soon. The potion they presumed she was making would be done soon, and with that she would stop at nothing to get him and kill Hermione. He would have to wait until tomorrow, now he didn't have the energy to follow. She would be angry once she realized her werewolf had failed in his task, and he could use this to his advantage.

With a snap of his fingers his house elves appeared and began to usher the body out of the room, cleaning it as they did so. Severus showered then, washing away with it the day and the fear of what he may confront in the bedroom when he emerged. To his relief, Hermione was asleep and looked no different than before. He pulled on his sleeping pants and moved toward the bed. Kissing her on the forehead, he joined her under the blanket. The restraints would have to stay, he couldn't have her catching him unawares.

He settled into the bed, feeling the warmth of her body on his. He could get used to this, to her smile and to her fearlessness...he could get used to it all. They were on the trail of the panther, and nothing excited him more than putting an end to this nonsense together.


End file.
